The arrival of the Main Data Update gives you the perfect opportunity to jump straight into a new career.

The update doesn’t just include all the recent big money transfers though, with thousands of players across the world having their Current Ability levels adjusted to reflect their recent performances. 

We’ve taken a detailed look through the data to pick out 15 of the most notable names that you should either be managing or sending your scouts out to study. 

The English Football League (EFL) is one of the UK’s best breeding grounds for talented young footballers. EFL clubs are typically keen to give academy prospects first-team opportunities earlier than those in the top-flight, allowing them to gain valuable experience and accelerate their development. 

Many of those EFL young stars will be popular transfer targets in Football Manager 2023. Here, we’ve worked with our Research team to produce a definitive list of the best.

While Football Manager 2023 won’t be fully released until November 8th, we know that many of you are already thinking long and hard about where your journey will start. You’ll be thinking about how you can make the most of the new Recruitment tools and when you’ll get to experience those big European nights under the lights for the first time. 

One thing that will have changed from FM22 are the names at the top of most Wonderkid shopping lists. Many of those that have caught our eyes in recent years have also impressed real-life scouts and managers, so much so that they secured big moves over the summer months.  

MaddFM looks at 10 of our favourite FM22 Wonderkids that have new homes in FM23. Which of these will you be managing this year? 

The 2. Bundesliga has been one of Europe’s most fascinating leagues this season, in no small part down to it containing several big teams with considerable pedigree – FC Schalke 04, Werder Bremen, Hamburg, Nürnberg and Fortuna Düsseldorf share 27 top-flight titles, large fanbases and multiple domestic and continental trophies between them.

We always love to see young players getting opportunities and for that reason all 18 2. Bundesliga clubs deserve credit for giving regular minutes to some of German football’s brighter young talents. With the campaign having drawn to a close, we’ve put together our XI of the league’s most impressive up-and-comers.

It's at this time of year that the world of football takes the time to look back and honour those players who've caught the eye over the previous season by handing out Player of the Year awards and creating 'Teams of The Season'.

But what about those players who don't catch the eye of the awards panels, but bring success to their clubs by quietly and effectively going about their business? We turn the spotlight on those team players whose contributions may have gone unnoticed with this, the Bundesliga Unsung Hero XI for the 2021/22 season. 

Featuring countless international superstars, the Bundesliga is one of the world’s best leagues. It’s also become home to many of football’s brightest wonderkids, which has unsurprisingly made it incredibly popular with Football Manager players. We’ve delved into the stats to put together the most signed XI of players currently playing in the Bundesliga in FM22.

The Main Winter Update is usually a big moment in every year for Football Manager fans. It’s a time when January transfers are registered and the ratings of thousands of players across the world are adjusted based on their performances through the first half of the season. We’ve dug through our database to pick out 10 of the best players who got a Current Ability upgrade in the Main Winter Update.

You might have thought that this year’s January transfer window was pretty quiet, bar an interesting Transfer Deadline Day. There was, however, some really clever business done across the footballing world, including several moves that definitely warrant the FM seal of approval. We’ve put together a list of 10 of our favourite deals that you might have missed. You’ll be able to guide all of these players to the top with their new clubs in the FM22 Main Winter Update.

While FM22’s release is still a few weeks away, we’re sure that you’re already plotting your first saves. You know the players you’re looking forward to using, or signing, and have some idea of the tactics you’re planning to implement. 

As a team, we love poring over the goings on of the summer transfer window, assessing both the big, headline moves and those under-the-radar deals that could eventually prove to be real hit signings. Here are 10 of our favourite recent transfers; which of these players are you most excited to manage in FM22?

One of the most appealing aspects of Football Manager is when the fictional players known as Newgens join your universe. For many players, that means scouring the globe for the wonderkids through the Player Search menu or trawling through the hundreds of international youth squads. For others, it can be rewarding to work with what you get from your own internal intake. Build a team of local lads and inspire them to stardom, taking your club forward with every well-worked goal scored and bit of silverware won. 

Dan Gear and FM Grasshopper, co-hosts of the GrassNGear podcast, are here to give you some tips and food for thought when training your Newgens. To illustrate our advice, we’ve simulated five years into the future, exploring what we’d do with three players at our disposal and why.
 

You’ve seen it in real life - clubs losing a series of key players through injury or transfer deals and then struggling as they lack suitable backup in those areas. You’ll also have seen it in Football Manager, where you reach a pivotal point in a campaign only to suffer the ignominy of a mid-season injury crisis which can completely derail a good run of form or, worse still, your entire season. You feel these issues particularly when the transfer window is closed and/or you can’t afford to bring in like-for-like replacements. 

That ends here. MaddFM talks about the value of retraining players in new positions in FM21, explaining how it can assist your recruitment strategy and your overall player development in a longer-term save. Looking at different options and approaches will mean you’re maximising the impact each of your players can make. It’ll also ensure you’ve got sufficient Squad Depth, from first-choice starters to youngsters in your academy capable of providing cover.

We’ve all seen it a hundred times. We have all scratched our heads. 

The striker who scores a hatful of goals every year despite only having a Finishing attribute of 10. 

The defender with a Tackling attribute of 11 who always seems to nail that last-ditch slide at your striker’s feet in the 91st minute whenever you play against his team, meaning you don’t grab that late winner.

How does this happen? Is there more to it than luck or form? More importantly, if we have players in our own squads capable of ‘overperforming’ their Attributes like this, how can we identify them to get the best out of our playing squad when picking our starting line-up?

FM Stag has come to The Byline to provide an overview of how to dig beyond the attributes to get the best understanding of your squad in FM21.