Football Manager 2018 has been out for a few months, but if it landed in your Christmas stocking, you may be on the look for some help in who to add to your transfer shortlist.
Accompanying the arrival of the franchise's latest instalment are always a host of articles detailing the top 50 wonderkids you need to look out for.
Scouting the sheer number of players can overwhelming and narrowing it down to a select few is stressful. With this in mind, we've looked to shorten these lists down. In this particular article we've taken a look at midfielders you definitely want in your squad this time around.
We've ticked off attackers and now we've assembled a list of talented midfielders who vary in price in an attempt to give managers the best opportunity of snagging at least one of them, even if you aren't at the helm of one of Europe's biggest clubs.
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Amadou Diawara
Napoli are spoilt for choice in their middle third with Allan, Jorginho, Marek Hamsik, Piotr Zielinski and Diawara. The latter two often miss out but at just 20-years-old, Diawara is very much one for the future.
Napoli won't want to part ways with him but if you're one of the richer clubs in the game then it might be easier than you think to pry him away from Naples.
Deployed in a defensive midfield role, if nurtured properly he's got the ability to become one of the best in his position in the game.
Tom Davies
The first of the English midfielders to be mentioned in this list. Tom Davies burst onto the scene last season and has the potential to be a more than useful advanced playmaker on the game.
He's an Everton fan so don't expect him to leave his boyhood club for any old side, but if you stump up the right amount of money during the 2018 summer transfer window he is likely to depart.
Liverpool fans may as well not bother, but if you're one of the Champions League regulars from the Premier League he helps with the home grown quota and he's good enough to be in your squad.
Rúben Neves
Neves is somewhat of a Football Manager legend. Over recent years he's been the go-to midfielder for many managers and he turns into one of the best defensive midfielders in the game.
He used to cost a small fortune when playing at Porto but his move to Wolverhampton Wanderers may help things this time around.
He's not for sale during the first transfer window of the game but if Wolves fail to gain promotion to the Premier League there's a chance he's available for a bargain £20million. A dramatic drop-off from the £60million it used to cost to sign him from Porto.
Lewis Cook
Cook may not have justified the hype since his move to Bournemouth last summer but Eddie Howe is biding his time with the obvious talent. Cook is one of the most highly rated midfielders in this years game and has the ability to excel in a number of roles.
He can play a box-to-box role, as an advanced playmaker or in a Mezzala role which is a new position added to the game. It sees the player start in a centre-midfield role but occupy the space in wide areas. It means you get can even more creative with your systems.
He could be a shrewd signing for a team chasing a place in the Champions League and Bournemouth are likely to sell.
Riechedly Bazoer
Bazoer caught the eye while at Ajax but a move to Wolfsburg has stunted his development in the real world. However, it presents an opportunity on Football Manager as you're able to sign a midfielder with the potential to be one of the best on the game for relative peanuts in comparison to others.
He's a combination of a destroyer and playmaker at the heart of the midfield and one for one of the footballing purists to sign if they're priced out of moves for Julian Weigl and Youri Tielemans.
Dennis Geiger
Another classy German midfielder, just what the national team needs…
Geiger is just 19-years-old but has all the makings of a future Germany international, perhaps as the long-term successor to Toni Kroos in the middle third.
He's got genuine quality on the ball and can dictate a game. He's not the most physical but he has the determination and work rate to make up for the inches he lacks in height to ensure you're not defensively exposed.
Depending on how Hoffenheim perform in the Bundesliga, he could turn out to be one of the best value for money signings on the game.
Arthur
Arthur has recently been named as a Barcelona transfer target. Though the La Liga side haven't had the best track record in the market over recent seasons, they know what they're looking for when scouting the Brazilian market. That gives an indication of how good the 21-year-old might be down the line.
His stats already make him one of the best ball playing centre-midfielders on the game and if you're able to secure a work permit he's comfortable slotting into 90 per cent of Premier League sides.
Sander Berge
An Arsenal and Everton transfer target in the summer window, a move failed to materialise and he continues to play his football in Belgian. Not exactly a bad place to develop.
The Norwegian midfielder has the potential to play a number of roles and at just 19-years-old there's plenty of room for him to grow and mature into a better player.
Berge isn't the sort to just walk into a top six Premier League side but a move to a mid-table team could really see him flourish before moving on to bigger and better things. He's the sort of player to turn a quick profit on.
Ronaldo Viera
Leeds United have a serious player on their hands if Viera develops as he's expected to. He's best as a deep lying playmaker but has the traits to try his hand at a number of other roles.
He's not going to cost much, especially in the summer of 2018 if Leeds fail to win promotion to the top flight. He's a good squad player for a top team but give him minutes and there's potential there for him to be a steal.
Weston McKennie
McKennie is the reason Domenico Tedesco allowed the highly rated Johannes Geis to leave Schalke and join Sevilla on loan.
The 18-year-old American midfielder looks the part and has the stats to go on and become a dominant presence in the middle third.
He's not going to break the bank and his arrival will see a spike in shirt sales in America. He's the sort to have an impact both on and off of the pitch.
