Football Manager 2020: All the best young left backs (DL/WBL) to sign - Grimaldo, Firpo, & more

For years now, finding a quality left back has been an expensive task in Football Manager. The position has been thin on world-class players, which means even the solid ones become pricey as the bigger clubs snap them up.

Football Manager 2020 is no different. Tracking down a good left back usual leads you to an older player already at a big club, or a forest of young players that will need some development.

How to choose the best young left backs (DL/WBL) in Football Manager 2020

This article will look at those young left backs. These players are all aged 23 or younger and have left back (DL) or left wing back (WBL) as their natural & best position.

We are certainly interested in high potential here, but we want players that can start right away. Therefore, we are looking for those with the highest current ability (CA) we can find.

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Remember that star ratings are only relevant in relation to the quality of your team, so they are not entirely reliable. To get the most accurate understanding of player ability you need to look at current ability.

So who are the best young left backs that FM20 has to offer?

Alex Grimaldo (CA 150 – PA 163)

Age: 23

Position(s): D (L), WB (L), M (L)

Club: Benfica

Country: Spain

Best Attributes: 16 passing, 16 dribbling, 16 vision

Value: £22 million

Wage: £17,500 a week

Alex Grimaldo is well-known as a quality young player. He started his career as a youngster with Valencia before making an early move to Barcelona. In 2015, before making his first-team debut with Barca, he moved to Benfica. He has quickly become a star for them but is yet to receive a full cap for Spain.

In FM20 Grimaldo is a forward-thinking full back. With 16 dribbling, 16 passing, and 16 technique he is ideal for a top team that wants to dominate possession and overlap their full backs. He also has 14 tackling, 14 work rate, and 14 pace so he can get back and make a tackle too.

Junior Firpo (CA 147 – PA 160)

Age: 22

Position(s): D (L), WB (L)

Club: Barcelona

Country: Spain

Best Attributes: 17 determination, 15 pace, 15 crossing

Value: £21.5 million

Wage: £43,000 a week

Junior Firpo made his way up through the Real Betis academy, getting his first-team debut in February 2018. He became a regular player for them before making a move to Barcelona in 2019 for what could end up being £25 million.

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Firpo doesn’t have as many eye-catching stats as Grimaldo but he is strong. With 17 determination, 15 off the ball, and 15 anticipation meaning he will usually be in the right place at the right time. With 15 pace, 14 tackling, and 13 passing he has the tools to be a quality player though.

Kieran Tierney (CA 146 – PA 170)

Age: 22

Position(s): D (L), WB (L)

Club: Arsenal

Country: Scotland

Best Attributes: 19 determination, 17 bravery, 16 acceleration

Value: £27.5 million

Wage: £75,000 a week

Kieran Tierney came through the ranks at Celtic, quickly breaking into the first team in 2015 at the age of 18. He soon made his international debut as well. In August 2019 he made a £25 million move to Arsenal, though his first season there has been blighted by injury.

Tierney is an excellent player already in FM20. With a massive 19 determination and 17 bravery he is not afraid to get stuck in at either end of the pitch. He has 16 acceleration and 15 pace to go along with 15 tackling, 15 crossing, and 15 work rate. His PA of 170 makes him an even better signing if you can convince him to leave his new club.

Sergio Reguilon (CA 145 – PA 160)

Age: 22

Position(s): D (L), WB (L)

Club: Sevilla (On loan from Real Madrid)

Country: Spain

Best Attributes: 16 stamina, 16 work rate, 15 pace

Value: £15.75 million

Wage: £38,000 a week

Sergio Reguilon has been with Real Madrid since the age of nine. He has racked up appearances for the B team while also spending two years on loan at Longrones. In 2018 he got his debut with the first team and has a handful of appearances for them but is now on loan at Sevilla.

Reguilon has a wonderful combination of 16 stamina and 16 work rate to keep running all game, while he’s also got 15 pace, 14 tackling, and 13 passing to be a well-rounded player. If you are trying to hold off on a left back until your second summer in charge then Reguilon will be available for you to snap up.

Luke Shaw (CA 143 – PA 150)

Age: 23

Position(s): D (L), WB (L)

Club: Man United

Country: England

Best Attributes: 16 pace, 16 teamwork, 16 acceleration

Value: £24.5 million

Wage: £150,000 a week

Starting his career with Southampton, Luke Shaw quickly caught the eye. In 2014 he made a £30 million move to Manchester United at just 19. A nasty double-fracture to his leg in 2015 that put his career on pause. On his return Shaw slowly secured his spot in the Man United starting lineup.

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Shaw’s play in FM20 is underpinned by his strong 16 pace, 16 acceleration, and 16 agility. With all that comes 16 teamwork and 15 work rate as well as 14 tackling, 14 technique, and 13 dribbling.

Ben Chilwell (CA 143 – PA 165)

Age: 22

Position(s): D (L), WB (L)

Club: Leicester City

Country: England

Best Attributes: 16 pace, 16 work rate, 15 acceleration

Value: £26.5 million

Wage: £70,000 a week

Ben Chilwell joined Leicester at the age of 13 and hasn’t looked back. In 2015 he made his debut with the team in the League Cup before going to Huddersfield Town on loan. On his return to Leicester Chilwell worked his way into the first team and even made some Champions League appearances. He also made his England debut in 2018.

In FM20 Chilwell is a strong player who has plenty of room to grow. With 16 pace and 16 work rate he’ll get up and down the flank for you, while his 14 dribbling, 14 marking, and 13 tackling. His 143 CA will keep him competitive on most teams, while his 165 PA means he will improve a lot.

Theo Hernandez (CA 140 – PA 156)

Age: 21

Position(s): D (L), WB (L)

Club: Milan

Country: France

Best Attributes: 16 acceleration, 16 pace, 16 natural fitness

Value: £10.25 million

Wage: £38,000 a week

Theo Hernandez started his career at Atletico Madrid but moved to Real before he got into the first team. He collected a Champions League winners medal in 2018 but then went on loan to Real Sociedad and then moved permanently to AC Milan in 2019 in a deal worth around £17 million.

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Hernandez has great physical stats, with 16 natural fitness and 16 pace. Along with 13 tackling and 14 dribbling he is solid player, though his 12 passing and 12 crossing is not great. Hernandez has a PA of 156 so will get better with time.

Renan Lodi (CA 138 – PA 152)

Age: 21

Position(s): D (L), WB (L), M (L)

Club: Atletico Madrid

Country: Brazil

Best Attributes: 16 passing, 16 dribbling, 16 acceleration

Value: £11.25 million

Wage: £23,000 a week

Renan Lodi came up with Athletico Paranaense in Brazil. He made a move for an undisclosed fee to Atletico Madrid in July 2019. As he established himself in Europe the door to the national side opened too and he got his first cap for Brazil in October 2019.

Lodi is a forward-thinking full back in FM20. With 16 acceleration, 16 dribbling, and 16 passing he can provide plenty of attacking bite on the left. His is a little lacking defensively though, with just 11 tackling and 10 positioning.

Ola Aina (CA 136 – PA 149)

Age: 22

Position(s): D (RL), WB (RL)

Club: Torino

Country: Nigeria

Best Attributes: 18 long throws, 17 pace, 17 acceleration

Value: £9 million

Wage: £25,000 a week

Ola Aina came up through the ranks at Chelsea having joined them at the age of nine. He managed just three appearances for the senior team however, as loan spells at Hull and then Torino turned into a permanent move to Torino this year. After rising through the youth teams with England he then declared for Nigeria and got his debut with them in 2017.

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Aina brings excellent speed to the field with his 17 pace and 17 acceleration, as well as a remarkable 18 long throws. Beyond that he still has some work to do though. With 12 dribbling, 12 crossing, 11 passing, and 10 tackling he will be ok for most teams, but you’ll want to push him up toward that 149 PA.

Mohamed Fares (CA 135 – PA 146)

Age: 23

Position(s): D (L), WB (L), M (L)

Club: SPAL

Country: Algeria

Best Attributes: 16 flair, 15 natural fitness, 15 off the ball

Value: £8.25 million

Wage: £10,750 a week

Mohamed Fares started his career with Bordeaux before moving to Verona in 2013 and breaking into the first team in 2014. After a few solid years there he moved on loan to SPAL in 2018 and then made a full transfer there in 2019.

He brings 16 flair, 15 natural fitness, and 15 off the ball to the field, along with 15 acceleration and 14 pace. He is well balanced between attack and defence, with 14 dribbling, 13 crossing, 12 tackling, and 12 passing.

All the best young left backs (DL/WBL) to sign

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Signing new players is usually easy if you are a big club like Barcelona or Bayern Munich, but if you are a smaller team like Wolves it can be very hard to convince someone to join your team.

That's where our tips & tricks come in. We have all the advice you need for bringing an uninterested player into your squad, you can see them here.