The ULTIMATE FM26 Youth Development Guide Part 1

Storyline / Premise

• The video isn’t primarily narrative-focused—it’s a Football Manager 2026 (FM26) youth development guide.
• The creator explains how to build a youth pipeline using:
  • In-game squad planning
  • Promotion rules
  • Loan decisions
  • Scouting decisions
• The video also notes that FM26 is missing some youth-training features, which would normally make the process deeper/more detailed.

Gameplay Highlights & Core System: Youth Development Basics

1) Start by auditing your current first team

Before promoting youth players, review your first-team squad to understand:

• Your formation (example used: 4231)
• What positions you already have
• Who is realistically available as starters vs backups

2) Use the “rule of threes / rule of twos”

• Big club: use a rule of threes Aim to have:

  • A starter-level group
  • A youth/rotation-level group
  • An “absolute backup” group sourced from the youth pipeline

• Small club: use a rule of twos (tighter version of the same idea)

Core logic: keep youth talent as backups so you can introduce them gradually without tanking first-team performance.

3) Promotion / squad hierarchy strategy

A) Under-21 → first team (based on potential)

Prioritize Under-21 players who have:

• 5-star potential (especially if over 18) → bring into the first team
• Also consider some 4-star potential players

B) 3-star potential players → sell

The guide recommends:

• Sell players with 3-star potential
• Optionally loan them briefly to raise value, then sell

Reason: free up coaching/training resources for the higher-potential group.

4) Give game time carefully (don’t blindly “play youngsters every match”)

Youth integration depends on current ability vs potential.

• For players with low current ability (example given: two-star):
  • Often keep them bench-only
  • Give starts only in:
    • Easy league games
    • Cup games vs lower-tier opposition
    • Matches where you’re comfortable winning

5) Loaning and age-based rules

• Under-17-year-olds: avoid loaning (guide says never loan them)

  • Exception: only if the loan club has better training + youth facilities

• If a youth player is over 18 and only around 1–1.5 star current ability, the guide suggests:

  • Loan them out to gain match time

• If a player is 21–22 and still very low ability (example: 2-star):

  • Sell and replace with younger talent

• Goalkeepers: noted as a caveat They can develop later, so you may keep them longer (e.g., toward contract end) to see whether growth happens.

In-House Squad Management Examples (What to Cut/Keep)

The creator discusses how many players you “need” by role in a big club:

• Full-backs / defensive roles

  • Don’t keep too many capable players if they block youth progression
  • Example approach:
    • Sell some veteran options
    • Use one primary youth-capable starter and rotate others

• Attacking midfielders / crowded roles

  • If you have more than you need (example used: multiple AML/AMC-style players), the guide suggests selling some (example mentioned: Mason Mount) to prevent crowding

• Wingers

  • Use a rotation hierarchy:
    • backup vs first-choice youth replacement
  • Example logic:
    • prioritize youth alternatives to older players
    • allow older developing players to be backups, but don’t waste squad slots

Key Tips for Better Youth Development Outcomes

1) Club facilities and youth coaching matter

The guide emphasizes checking:

• Youth facilities
• Youth coaching
• Youth setup ratings (example referenced: 4-star youth coaching/facilities)

2) Compare the loan club’s environment properly

When offered a loan, the guide suggests you:

• Check coaching/training strength using the staff/coach report logic
• Apply a practical rule:
  • If the loan club trains/plays the player at a higher level than your scouting/coaching standard, the loan is more valuable

For loans to higher-tier clubs:

• You may care less about youth facilities if it’s mainly a backup development path
• But for meaningful progression, youth facilities should still be assessed

3) Staff: hire/optimize youth development leadership

To support youth development, make sure you have:

• A strong Head of Youth Development (called out as key)
• Enough authority to recruit staff if needed

The creator also suggests checking under-18 coaching staff and improving it (noting it can be hard to find in FM26’s UI).

Youth Intake Process (Who to Sign)

When youth players become available (“youth intake”):

• Only sign players with:
  • 4 or 5 star potential
• “Bin off” the rest (generally 3-star and below)

Also check:

• Determination (target: 15+)
  • Low determination may make development feel like a “slog”
• Personality
  • Positive examples: determined / professional / model citizen
  • Unambitious isn’t ideal at top level, but can still develop lower down
    • It may reduce motivation during big moments

Decision Examples Used in the Video (Youth Player Traits)

• Jayden Naguashi (example)

  • High potential stars, but low determination and a balanced personality
  • Likely “50/50” development odds unless mentored

• Aiden Heaven (example)

  • Poor determination/personality, but could still develop (creator implies mentoring may help)
  • Watch potential closely; if it drops, consider selling

• Lenny Yuro (example)

  • Good determination; personality described as “spirited”
  • Presented as someone worth keeping and building around

Monitoring Schedule (Ongoing Maintenance)

The guide recommends checking youth progress about:

• Beginning of June
• Beginning of January

Reason: star ratings/potential can shift relative to the league baseline. Example: signing an elite player could change a youth player’s star ratings because the system is relative to the best players in the league.

Sources / Gamers Featured (Mentioned at the End)

• No other credited sources are explicitly named beyond the creator’s channel identity:
  • “Chasing Lately”