U18

The U18 academy is how new players join your club, usually to replace retirees. Find it on the Team view's U18 tab. A pick is already waiting the moment you create your club.

The clock only runs in a league

The countdown moves only while your league season is being played. Before your club is placed in a league, and between seasons, it pauses and waits.

Signing a prospect

Pick one of the two and a full player joins immediately, keeping their name, position and age of 18. Everything else (height, preferred hand, all 20 skills) is generated fresh at your Youth Academy's current band; a stronger academy (upgrade it on the Infrastructure page) produces better prospects. They still need training to grow, and appear at once in Players, Tactics and Training.

Scouting

At Academy level 1 you sign blind: only name and position are known. Each scouting upgrade reveals more of a prospect's skills (random per prospect, shown as chips on the pick card). Upgrading mid-offer reveals more of the same two prospects right away.

Foreign prospects

Both prospects normally share your club's nationality. From Academy level 5 there is a small, slowly growing chance a prospect comes from another country instead, still rare even at level 20.

After you sign

The clock resets, and the next pair opens 8 rounds later. If your squad is already at the cap, the tab still shows two prospects, but you cannot sign until there is room.