FIFA 13: 10 Brazilian Wonder-Kids You Must Sign

A big part of the pleasure and appeal of playing Career Mode is stumbling on a relatively unknown sensation of a player, and the appeal seems to be magnified when those players come from the colourful football capital that is Brazil, thanks in part to the mythos of that country and also to its established pedigree in creating on-pitch magicians. There is good reason Chelsea went Brazilian this summer to bring in highly-rated Oscar, and why Man United were linked so strongly with a move for Lucas Moura - the country has an enviable knack for creating the kind of mobile, technical impressive midfielders and attackers that England have sorely missed in the past generation as other national teams have thrived with more progressive set-ups. And it's not just attackers that come out of Brazil: with Ramires and Sandro playing key parts in the Chelsea and Spurs midfields respectively, Lucas Leiva leaving a gaping hole in the Liverpool midfield, and Rafael, David Luiz and Andre Santos playing key roles in their own Premier League squads, it seems the samba nation is now producing solid, more defensively minded players who can add as much steel as their more flamboyant compatriots can add flair. Investing in those players early, with their potential yet to be realised, and their value yet to sky-rocket to the expected level is a no-brainer, especially in the more controlled environment of FIFA, so, with that in mind here's our list of 10 of the best Brazilian wonder-kid talents who you should consider signing for your FIFA 13 career mode...

1. Bernard AnĂ­cio Caldeira Duarte

Age: 19 Club: Atletico Mineiro Position: CAM Current Ability: 77 Potential: 86 Better known as simply Bernard, the Atletico Mineiro midfielder has only been playing first-team football for the club since 2011 (including a spell at Atletico's youth feeder club Democrata Futebol Clube), but has established a reputation in that time strong enough to earn him a call-up to the Brazilian national side. In FIFA 13, Bernard has impressive potential, rising from his starting level of 77 up to around 86, but it is his specific skills that make him a stand-out addition to any squad, with a four star Skill Moves rating, 86 for Dribbling, 94 for Agility and Balance, Ball Control of 80 and hugely impressive speed (90 Acceleration and 86 Sprint Speed). He should also come relatively inexpensive, in comparison to some of his compatriots in the same position, and his potential will pretty much ensure that that value will rise during his time at your club.
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