The race to discover Football Manager's best wonderkid is officially underway after developers Sports Interactive dropped the latest instalment of their popular game.

As part of an early-access preview ahead of its release date on November 10, Football Manager 27 will be free to play on PC and Mac from 29 October to 3 November, with no pre-purchase required.

Unsurprisingly, fans have wasted no time in their search for the next generation of wonderkids, with one player in particular catching the eye.

Abdellah Ouazane, the 17-year-old attacking midfielder from Ajax, is widely regarded as one of the best young talents in world football, having already attracted interest from a host of clubs, including Juventus and Real Madrid.

In fact, the Morocco international was on the verge of joining Los Blancos last year, but a transfer collapsed.

Still, Ouazane has continued to thrive at Ajax after becoming the sixth-youngest debutant in the club's history at 16 years and 336 days, with his talent being recognised by those behind the scenes at Football Manager.

Speaking in an interview with FourFourTwo, Sports Interactive developer Antony Farley name-dropped Ouazane as one to watch.

"There's a kid at Ajax, a 17-year-old left winger, Abdellah Ouazane, who looks like he's going to be a very strong player this year," he said.

"Those absolute gems playing somewhere a little bit more far-flung are a lot harder to find, anecdotally. But certainly, at the Ajax Academy, there are always good players coming through.

The fun of discovery is part of it, so I don't want to ruin too many surprises."

A quick look at Ouazane's profile on FM 27 shows how much potential he has in-game. In terms of his technical attributes, the teenager has 15 crossing, 15 dribbling, 17 first touch and 17 technique.

He also boasts some impressive mental attributes, including 15 flair and 16 determination, alongside a solid set of physical stats, as shown in the screenshot above.

Unfortunately, Ouazane will not come cheap. His market value at the start of Football Manager 27 is £34 million - £51 million, although his contract at Ajax does expire in June 2028.

The 17-year-old, who has scored two goals in 16 appearances for Ajax this season, is being used predominantly as a left winger by head coach Michel Sanchez.

He has impressed many with his ability, including former Manchester United loanee Sofyan Amrabat, who joined the Dutch side this summer.

"Appie is a great player with a really good mentality. So I think he can go really, really far," Amrabat said.

"From what I have seen so far, in my opinion, he has everything it takes to play at the top level. I know a bit about what is required: he is of good height, strong, fast, able to run, technically sound, and has a good head on his shoulders."

Amrabat added: "If he keeps both feet on the ground, which I expect, because he is a quiet guy, then he can go very far."