Career mode is a popular game mode in FIFA 23, gamers can choose from a plethora of different clubs to manage and sign their favorite players to compete for titles. The English Championship, England's second tier of football, is a great place to start for career mode.
The Championship already has decent players, and respectable budgets and there is already a clear aim: to win promotion to the Premier League. To help on this quest players will need to sign players for cheap deals who can already play in the division.
Updated April 15, 2023, by Ben Painter: With the seasons coming to an end in real-life, new players have been added to squads as young players have made their debuts for the clubs and their names became known. Championship clubs are a great place to start on FIFA 23, and they have the scope for managers to buy some great young players, on the cheap and help them grow into a squad ready for the Premier League. None of these great Championship level players are set to break the bank and will be worth much more money once they start to reach their full potential.
15 Giorgio Scalvini
A great place to start is the defense, and Scalvini is one of the best young players for his position. A six-foot-three central defender who starts at 71 overall and has the potential to grow to 86.
At just 18 years old the ceiling is very high for Scalvini, and he is available for just $4.1 million from Bergamo Calcio (Atlanta). Gamers should be able to get him for even cheaper than that and a loan could also be arranged. His top stats are his 74 standing tackle, 73 interceptions, and 72 reactions.
14 Luka Romero
At just 17 years old, Romero is a great young player that will be perfect for any Championship club. He plays for Lazio in the Italian Serie A and is available for $3.2 million. An absolute steal considering he has a very impressive 84 potential, which can be improved upon with dynamic potential.
The Argentine winger has insane dribbling stats for his age and a 69 rating with 87 agility and 88 balance. He will be an absolute nightmare for opposition defenders in their attempts to claim the ball. Romero is simply a must-buy in FIFA 23.
13 Kevin Mier
The Colombian goalkeeper is somewhat of a "hidden gem" playing in the relatively underused Colombian League for Atletico Nacional. Starting at 73 overall he is a good enough goalkeeper to start for all the sides in the Championship.
With a potential of 84, the 22-year-old is a great prospect, and he will be a fantastic buy for the present and the future of any Championship club career mode. His best stats are his 72 diving and 77 reflexes and he is available for just $5 million.
12 Stefan Bajcetic
One for the lower-rated Championship sides, Stefan Bajcetic is priced at $3.3 million and will be available on loan from his club Liverpool in the Premier League. He looks pretty average on paper but quickly grows into one of the best Championship level players in FIFA 23.
At just 69 rated he may not slot right into the starting eleven, but with 85 potential, he certainly has the grounds to be a great player in England's second tier. With good passing and defensive stats, Bajcetic will make a fantastic deep-lying playmaker for any side in the Championship.
11 Jamie Bynoe-Gittens
Just like Jadon Sancho, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens was an English winger who took his chance abroad and signed for Borussia Dortmund in the German Bundesliga. Once again, it appears to have been a chance that paid off.
Starting at 70 rated, the left-winger has a massive 87 potential, which makes his $4 million price tag an absolute bargain. Ready for most Championship sides from the get-go with 86 acceleration and 89 sprint speed, he will grow quickly, and no doubt be one of the best players in the division.
10 Martin Baturina
Another player from an underused league, Baturina plays for Dinamo Zagreb in the Croatian Football League. He is 72-rated and will fit into any Championship side straight away. With 86 potential, the 19-year-old midfielder has the ceiling to be the next Luka Modric.
Available for $5.5 million but with a wage of just $500 a week, Baturina is cheap as they come. What's more, with his potential, he can become a starting midfielder for many years in a career mode save.
9 Désiré Doué
Doué is a 17-year-old 70-rated attacking midfielder playing for Ligue 1 team Stade Rennais. Available for a steal at just $4 million, he is a must-buy and is ready for any side in the Championship.
He can also play on the wing, so signing Doué offers some versatility. With great dribbling and movement stats already he will no doubt become a great buy and become an absolute wonder beater in a career mode.
8 Wilfried Gnonto
The Italian striker is one of the best young forwards to pick up in FIFA 23 career mode. Playing for Leeds United in the Premier League he is priced at $10 million with an impressive 86 potential, he is certainly one for the richer Championship clubs.
He starts at a very high 74-rated perfectly ready to start in every second-tier club, he is a left midfielder but perfectly capable of playing as a striker or even as an attacking midfielder. Gnonto is rapid, and he will dominate the defenses of the Championship.
7 Youssoufa Moukoko
Without a doubt, the best young forward to pick up in FIFA 23 career mode, Moukoko is a 75-rated striker, who is quick a great dribbler, and has a fantastic 78 finishing stat which is superb for his overall. Playing for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, the German was famous in real life for being on the senior side from just the age of 15.
Valued at $13 million in the game, but with a year left on his contract, he can be picked up for cheaper than that. His potential is 89 and will be worth every penny as he will become one of the best if not, the best, strikers in the career mode save.
6 Fresneda
At just 17 years old Fresneda is one of the best young fullbacks to pick up for career mode and will be perfect for any Championship club. Starting at 69 overall, gamers can pick him up for $3.3 million which is very affordable for most Championship budgets.
This price tag will be worth ten folds in a few seasons as the Spaniard has 85 potential, which will serve well when promotion to the Premier League is on the horizon. His best stats are his 78 acceleration, 76 sprint speed, and 75 dribbling; all of which will go sky-high with enough game time.
5 Rayan Cherki
Available for $7 million Cherki may be just out of some Championship club's price range, but for the top clubs this will merely be a small dent in the budget. He is a 73-rated CAM, but is just as comfortable on either wing, so it is entirely up to the manager.
With very impressive stats at 18, Cherki is a must pick-up, 85 dribbling, 83 balance, and 82 agility, it will be hard to get him off the ball, and will no doubt get the club out of England's second tier in no time. He plays for Lyon over in the French Ligue 1 and seems destined to become a big name in the national team.
4 Rico Lewis
Fans of the Premier League will recognize this name as Rico Lewis has been included in Manchester City's team occasionally this season. His real-life potential has been matched in the game as he has a staggering 87 potential and starts with an already impressive 70 rating.
Lewis can be purchased for just $3.8 million, so any Championship club should make Lewis their right-back as they will be set for as long as the career mode goes on. With 73 short passing and 72 standing tackling, he is arguably the perfect fullback.
3 Arthur Vermeeren
A central defensive midfielder playing for Royal Antwerp in Belgium, Arthur Vermeeren has great all-around stats and is perfectly capable of playing a bit further forward. The standouts are 78 balance, 77 stamina, and 74 short passing.
Vermeeren starts at 68 overall and, impressively, can grow up to 87 rated, with dynamic potential, there is no reason why he can't become the best midfielder in the game. Available for $2.9 million, he will not break the bank, and, for that potential, he should be one of the first names on the transfer target list for any Championship manager.
2 Alejandro Garnacho
Manchester United starlet, the Argentine Alejandro Garnacho has been added to the game. He is the best young winger to pick up on the cheap and is perfect for a lower-rated team like the ones in the Championship.
He starts off at 70 overall and can grow up to an 86-rated player. Garnacho is rapid with 86 acceleration and 83 sprint speed, defenders will be left for dead as the 18-year-old breezes past them. If gamers want him for their teams then he will cost a very respectable $4 million.
1 Pablo Torre
69-rated Pablo Torre is a great attacking midfielder to buy and clubs will be looking to pay $3.6 million to Spanish giants Barcelona for his services. At 19 years old, he has the potential to become an 86-rated player and all the makings of a future Spain international.
With four-star weak foot and skill moves, he will be a tricky player, but what makes him really stand out is his 79 free-kick accuracy, which is very impressive for a player as young as him. Players may have the next David Beckham if they buy Pablo Torre for a Championship club.
FIFA 23 is currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch.