Jude Bellingham, Alphonso Davies, Erling Haaland and FM22's Most Signed Bundesliga XI
From Jude Bellingham and Alphonso Davies to Erling Haaland and Florian Wirtz, the Bundesliga is not only home to some of football's best but also a hotbed of the game's brightest wonderkids, making the German top-flight an incredibly popular destination for Football Manager players scouting for signings.
bundesliga.com has delved into the data to find the Bundesliga's most signed XI players in FM22.
Goalkeeper
Florian Müller (VfB Stuttgart)
Between the sticks is the division’s youngest regular starting goalkeeper - Stuttgart shot-stopper Müller. A summer signing from Mainz, Müller has continued to progress in a VfB side battling relegation.
His abilities are reflected in FM22, his biggest strengths being his tendency to Rush Out and his Mental Attributes. With such a strong profile and further potential for growth, it comes as no surprise that so many FM22 players have snapped him up.
Centre-backs
Maxence Lacroix (VfL Wolfsburg)
Stationed as the right-sided defender of the back-three is Wolfsburg's 21-year-old centre-half, Lacroix.
In addition to being an aerial threat, Lacroix’s biggest selling point in FM22 is his raw speed, boasting 18 Pace and 16 Acceleration. Bolstered by decent Dribbling, First Touch and Passing, the Frenchman is an ideal option for managers looking to taste success with the Wide Centre-Back (WCB) role introduced to the game this year.
Tanguy Nianzou (Bayern Munich)
Taking up the central role in the back-three is another Frenchman, Bayern prodigy Nianzou.
As a starting point, Nianzou’s 16 Jumping Reach and 15 Heading make him the sort of dominant presence in the air that can thwart opposition attacks and also contribute offensively from set-pieces.
Confident with the ball at his feet, he has all the tools to become a world-class centre-back so it's little wonder so many of the FM22 community have built their backlines around him.
Looking at the data, it was clear that one of the Bundesliga’s areas of greatest depth was in central defence and most popular of the lot is Gvardiol, who has been a near ever-present for RB Leipzig this season.
Aged just 19 at the start of your FM22 careers, the Croatia international is a strong, aggressive and mobile player equally comfortable on the left of defence or at its heart. His strong Dribbling and Passing skills make him perfectly suited to play as a WCB.
Unsurprisingly, he’s one of a number of Wonderkids in this XI.
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Wing-backs
Nordi Mukiele (RB Leipzig)
France and Leipzig man Mukiele offers a real attacking threat from right wing-back.
What’s made him such a fan favourite in FM22 though are his defensive skills and he racks up big Attribute numbers for Marking, Tackling, Bravery and Anticipation. He’s also one of the best in the air in his position, ensuring that he doesn’t get caught out by long balls over the top.
Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich)
After starting his career as a left-winger, Davies has developed into one of the most devastating wing-backs in the game and the Canadian flier has quickly become a global superstar. His rapid ascent is fitting considering Davies is one of the fastest players in the world and that is reflected in FM22 with a score of 19 for both Pace and Acceleration.
Just as he is in the real world, Davies is happiest in the game when he's running with the ball at his feet and, capable of trickery from out wide, he's near enough a guarantee to beat his opponent each and every time before delivering quality service into the box.
Central midfielders
Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)
At just 18 years old, Bellingham is already one of the world’s best midfielders. The England international has got to that level by being the sort of player that covers every blade of grass in 90 minutes and leaves everything out on the pitch. It's the kind of commitment that every coach craves.
Putting it bluntly, Bellingham excels at almost everything, with his standout FM22 Attributes being Determination (18), First Touch (15), Bravery (18), Stamina (16), and Dribbling (15). He also loves a late run into the area and, with 13 Finishing, we’re sure he’s been a regular source of goals for many a virtual manager.
Dominik Szoboszlai (RB Leipzig)
Leipzig’s squad is a Who’s Who of Europe's up-and-coming young talent, and one of their more recent star additions is Hungary international Szoboszlai.
While Szoboszlai’s skills as a set-piece specialist are the immediate standouts from his FM22 profile, on closer inspection it’s clear that there’s so much more to his game than that. A highly skillful player, Szoboszlai can operate as both a playmaker setting the tempo and a Mezzala bursting into the box and scoring goals.
He can also play in a more advanced position and this kind of versatility, combined with an eye catching array of Attributes, makes him one of the game's most highly-sought players.
Attacking midfielder
Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
Sitting at the pointy end of the midfield three is Leverkusen’s latest record-breaking starlet.
The 18-year-old managed 10 goals and 14 assists in 31 games in all competitions before his 2021/22 campaign in the real world was cruelly cut short through injury, and the FM22 data shows that the game's injury-free version of the Germany international has garnered a great deal of interest.
Already gifted with fantastic Flair, Vision and First Touch, Wirtz is the sort of creative dynamo every manager wants to craft their team around, and there is huge scope for the Leverkusen teenager to develop into a world-beater.
Strikers
Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
He was always going to feature at some point, wasn't he? Haaland has been enormously popular in Football Manager for a few years now but in FM22 - and for Dortmund - he feels like a cheat code.
Haaland has everything: he is tall, strong, incredibly quick and blessed with both a wand of a left-foot and the most naturally instinctive ability in front of goal. The scary thing about the Norwegian is that skill set has already been honed years before most players are anywhere near the peak of their powers, so he’s only going to get better.
Watch: All of Erling Haaland's Bundesliga goals in 2021/22 - up to MD30
Stellar Attribute scores for Off the Ball, Anticipation and Composure ensure that he's not only in the right place at the right time, but also doesn't panic in front of goal. Haaland's already scored 21 and created another seven in just 22 Bundesliga appearances this season - computer game numbers from the 21-year-old.
Youssoufa Moukoko (Borussia Dortmund)
A teammate of Haaland’s, 17-year-old sensation Moukoko was another fairly obvious name to emerge given his reputation as one of the most exciting young talents on the planet.
In FM22, the left-footed teenager already has 15 Finishing when he starts your save at the age of just 16. While it will take some going for Moukoko to match the astronomical goalscoring records he set in the Dortmund youth teams in the senior ranks, he's got the potential to reach the top of the game - as FM22 players have been finding out.
Honourable mentions
Modern football is a squad game, and every team needs players outside the starting XI capable of turning a match on its head.
Here are a few Bundesliga names who narrowly missed the cut but have been enormously popular signing on FM22:
- Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund)
- Luca Netz (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
- Dan-Axel Zagadou (Borussia Dortmund)
- Ridle Baku (Wolfsburg)
- Florian Grillitsch (Hoffenheim)
- Ilaix Moriba (RB Leipzig)
- Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
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