South American players to sign on FM23

This post is written for us by Argentinian Football Manager Blogger @Rocksendfm he is part of the Spanish speaking FM Community in Argentina @AUnToqueFM and he has offered us 5 potential signings on FM23 from South America you may not have heard of.

South America is a massive pool of talent. I’m clearly not discovering anything, but that does indeed mean that with every new instalment of Football Manager there are plenty of new talents to take a look at. From the southern tips of Argentina and Chile to the Caribbean shores of Colombia, there’s a plethora of new players to develop and enjoy in Football Manager 2023.

The guys at View From The Touchline asked me to take a look at some of the up and coming talents in South America and give you some recommendations on who to sign for your next save.

GK – KEVIN MIER – ATLÉTICO NACIONAL (COL)

We start with the guy some are calling “the heir to David Ospina”. Like Ospina, 21 year old Kevin Mier is coming through the Atlético Nacional academy.  The Verdolagas are one arguably the biggest side in Colombia, with a names like Juan Pablo Ángel, Davinson Sánchez, Víctor Ibarbo and the aforementioned Ospina coming through their youth ranks. Mier, for his part, is a solid all around goalkeeper. His 1,88 frame gives him excellent Aerial and Jumping Reach for those tricky crosses, while solid Reflexes, Anticipation and Decisions make him a good shot stopper. He’s not the best with the ball at his feet but with plenty of potential to go through and time on his side, it’s an aspect of his game you can develop.

Alternative options: Hugo Souza, Lautaro Morales (click images below to enlarge)  

CB – VALENTÍN GÓMEZ – VÉLEZ SARSFIELD (ARG)

One from my own side, I can attest to Valentín Gómez’s skills because I’ve seen him come through the ranks. In a season which ended with a run to the Copa Libertadores semi finals and a bottom three league finish, Velez Sarsfield showed once again why they are one of the prime youth developers in Argentina, at times fielding as many as six youth prospects on a starting line up. Chief among those, Valentín Gómez, who snatched a starting berth at just 18 years old when injuries to Diego Godín and Lautaro Gianetti opened a spot. An elegant central defender, Gómez’ Technique, Passing, Vision and Flair make him more than capable of bringing the ball out of the back, and as a left footer he’ll add that extra dimension that  so many managers look for today. Moreover, his high Determination, Concentration and Decisions means he’ll make a living out being at the right place at the right time, while his superb Bravery, Work Rate, Teamwork and Aggression mean he’ll make the runs necessary when he makes a mistake. Sure, he’s 1,81, but at 18 years old he’s likely to grow a bit, and even if he doesn’t, he’s already taller than EPL sensation Lisandro Martinez.

Alternative options: Adonis Frías, Nahuel Ferraresi (click images below to enlarge)

 

 

CM – ANDREY SANTOS – VASCO DA GAMA (BRA)

If South America is a talent hotspot, Brazil is the hottest part. You can blame their economic supremacy all you want, but the fact is that the last three Copa Libertadores finals have had two Brazilian teams, and no amount of money alone buys you that dominance: there’s bags of talent. Hidden away from the bright lights of the Brasileirão Serie A is Vasco da Gama, one of the biggest, most followed sides in Rio de Janeiro, and hiding in their reserves is 17 year old Andrey Santos. Santos combines skill, power and smarts in ways that players his age frankly shouldn’t. His mental attributes are pretty much straight 12s or 13s apart from middle of the road Determination and Leadership skills. Moreover, he can play any position in the middle simply because… he can. Want him to be creative? He’s got Flair, Technique, Vision and Passing. Want him to hold opponents? He’s got Marking, Concentration, Anticipation and Positioning. Want him to run up and down and finish moves? He’s got Work Rate, Stamina, Pace and Finishing. He’s 17 years old, he has no business being this good. Natural Fitness of 10 could mean he’s gonna have trouble with tricky calendars but with almost a decade until he reaches his peak, there’s plenty of time.

Alternative options: Mateo Seoane, Fabricio Diaz (click images below to enlarge)

 

 

AM – DARIO OSORIO – UNIVERSIDAD DE CHILE (CHI)

Chilean football isn’t living the high times really. Most of the Chilean sides competing in international competitions were unceremoniously dumped out, their top striker is an English born forward who barely speaks the language and, most importantly, they’ll miss out the World Cup or the second edition in a row. The team that won two Copa Americas back to back led by Alexis Sánchez, Arturo Vidal and Claudio Bravo are on its way out, but the future looks decent with the likes of Dario Osorio coming through. Far less polished than the previous entries, any top teams signing Osorio will have to wait for the 17 year old to add any value to their side, and a deal that allows him to stay in his native Chile will surely help. The potential, however, is enormous. Osorio is one of the hottest prospects from one of the Andean country’s big three, Universidad de Chile (with Colo Colo and Universidad Católica being the other two). An elusive lefty, he’s got Pace, Dribbling and is good enough with the ball at his feet. Sure, right now he’s a bit of a one trick pony right now, but with sufficient playtime and development, his potential is huge, and you can always take advantage of a rather weak Chile economically to pluck him for next to nothing.

Alternative options: Pablo Solari, Bryan Garcia (click images below to enlarge)

 

 

ST – NICOLÁS SIRI – MONTEVIDEO CITY TORQUE (URU)

If South America is a talent hotspot and Brazil is the hottest part, well in that case Uruguay is that spot you accidentally touch and burn yourself cause you’d never expect it’d get so blazing. Quite how is it that a country of less than 3.5 million produced and continues to produce so many top level players will forever be a mystery, but it does, and next in line to inherit the mantle from Fernando Morena to Diego Forlan to Luis Suárez is (among many others) 17 year old Nicolás Siri. Coming through the youth ranks of one of Uruguay’s best youth developers in Danubio, he’s now playing at Montevideo City Torque, a club part of the City Group which has been consistently poaching talent from all clubs across the country. Out of these five, he’s probably the one you’ll need to develop the most. At the start of the game he’s a very competent striker with excellent physicals and good Technique, Work Rate, Off the ball and Finishing, but not much else, meaning he won’t be a starter for most clubs in big European leagues. However, with enough minutes and development, he will show his incredible potential.

Alternative options: Santiago Castro, Djorkaeff Reasco (click images below to enlarge)

 

 

Thank you to @Rocksendfm for all those great recommendations and a great post. If you would be interested in writing for us contact [email protected]