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United States Football Manager 2024 bargains: 20 best players under £15m
Scouring the transfer market to find the best bargains in Football Manager 24 is a time-consuming activity.
Not everyone wants to spend ages compiling hundreds of scouting reports to source cheap new additions.
To help you save some time, we have listed 20 players who will cost no more than £15million ($18.5m)— and who are worth adding to your squad.
In no particular order, here is The Athletic’s list of the best bargains in Football Manager 2024.
Note: The below screenshots were taken while managing different clubs, which means the star ratings are not reflective of the player’s ability at each level of the game.
Oumar SoletPosition: Centre-back
Club: Red Bull Salzburg
For a fee of around £7million-£10m, you can sign a defender capable of starting for most Premier League teams. Solet has been one of my favourite bargains in FM for a few seasons now because he almost always does a solid job and does not cost a lot.
Inter Milan, Newcastle and Everton were said to have shown interest in him in real life. So sign him up before he inevitably moves to Brighton & Hove Albion next season and then Chelsea the season after in a transfer worth £83million.
Position: Right-winger
Club: Norwich
During the 2017-18 season, James Maddison had an impressive season at Norwich City and later signed for Leicester in a deal worth £21.5million. Rowe appears to be on a similar trajectory. He is making a name for himself at Norwich, so a departure seems inevitable given how well he is playing in real life.
In FM24, most Premier League clubs who can afford his transfer fee can sign him because he plays in the Championship. Rowe would be comfortable starting for several different sides across Europe’s top divisions or can be a nice option to bring off the bench for bigger clubs.
Position: Left-back
Club: Torino
Rodriguez is no stranger to FM fans. He has been a go-to buy for a lot of people dating back to when he signed for Wolfsburg in 2012. The defender is now in his thirties, has more than 100 international caps under his belt and boasts a well-rounded skillset in the game.
Rodriguez is earning more than £40,000 per week so he will likely only join a side competing in Europe. Spending £5million for a player who can start at a high level for a few seasons is something to consider.
Position: Striker
Club: Gent
Cuypers is a relative unknown to casual football fans. But in Belgium, they are aware of his talents. He was the top scorer in the Belgian Pro League last season (27 goals) and also scored against West Ham in the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League.
He is a willing presser who works hard off the ball, while his finishing (14) and heading (14) attributes are decent for a striker who can be signed for around £5million. The uncapped Belgium forward will be a worthy addition to most clubs.
Position: Defensive midfield
Club: Monaco
In 2020, Monaco signed Fofana and Aurelien Tchouameni. Last summer, Tchouameni was sold to Real Madrid for €100million but, thankfully, Fofana can be signed relatively cheaply.
He was part of France’s World Cup squad in Qatar and has reportedly caught the attention of multiple Premier League clubs in real life. Fofana is the type of signing you make on the game now and feel smug about in two years when he eventually leaves Monaco in the real world.
Position: Attacking midfield
Club: Atlanta United
Almada was a member of Argentina’s squad in Qatar, and in doing so, he became the first active MLS player to win a World Cup. The 22-year-old was named in MLS team of the season too.
The question is no longer if he will leave Atlanta, but when? In FM24, his attribute profile is strong for an attacking midfielder and he still has plenty of room to grow.
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Torino
The Serbian goalkeeper is the younger brother of Sergej, the former Lazio midfielder who now plays for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia after leaving Italy in a deal worth more than £30million.
Vanja can be signed for a lot less, often in the region of £5million-£10m. He is also ready to contribute instantly. His international team-mate, Predrag Rajkovic (of Mallorca), is another alternative to consider here too.
Position: Left-winger
Club: Orlando City
Arsenal made contact with Orlando in 2022 about signing the winger but a move did not materialise. And it is not surprising to see why Mikel Arteta’s side would have taken an interest.
His best position in FM24 is as a left-winger, but he is capable of playing centrally or as a right-winger too. His flair (17), first touch (16), dribbling (15), vision (14) and finishing (14) outline how his game is already quite refined. You could do a lot worse than make a move for Torres, who is still just 23 at the start of a new game save.
Position: Right-back
Club: Mallorca
Maffeo is a product of Man City’s academy but now finds himself settled in La Liga. As far as bargain signings go, Maffeo is a nice pick-up.
He has good acceleration (16), pace (14), tackling (15), work rate (17). His crossing (13) and dribbling (13) attributes are pretty solid too. Maffeo would be a smart attack-minded full-back option to rely upon for a few seasons.
Position: Centre-back
Club: Montpellier
Esteve fits the criteria of being both a bargain and a wonderkid in FM24. The pacy French defender is not quite ready to start for clubs in the top four, but he would be a strong fit for clubs lower down the table.
What he lacks in ball-playing ability, he makes up for with his ability to defend. Esteve has respectable statistics which will improve with time in the following areas: pace (16), strength (15), tackling (13), marking (13), heading (13) and passing (12).
Position: Central midfield
Club: Bologna
There have been a few Scottish players who have carved out a role for themselves in Italy in recent years. Ferguson joins the likes of Aaron Hickey (now at Brentford via Bologna) and Josh Doig (Hellas Verona) in honing his craft in Serie A and, in FM24, the former Aberdeen midfielder ticks the right boxes.
He is still relatively young, so if you are not satisfied with him in a season or two, it should not be too hard to generate a healthy transfer fee if you choose to sell him.
Position: Right-back
Club: Celta Vigo
Mingueza’s defensive statistics are strong. His work rate (16), tackling (15) and teamwork (15) tick the boxes for what you want from a wing-back.
As an attacking threat, he is not among the world’s best — but his stats are strong enough to not be a liability either. The Spaniard can also be signed by teams not competing in European competitions.
Position: Right-winger
Club: Bologna
Orsolini’s wage demands are pretty high — meaning you will not be able to get a deal done if you do not have at least £60,000-£70,000 available in your budget.
But if you can afford him, he is worth the outlay. His attributes make him too talented to overlook and he will often be willing to join most mid-table Premier League teams.
Position: Left-back
Club: Atletico Mineiro (ATM)
Arana is a cost-effective option at left-back who is better going forward than he is defensively.
His crossing (15) and passing (15) are noteworthy, but his tackling (12) and positioning (12) stats are not the strongest. The Brazilian full-back is suited to a mid-table team in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
Position: Central midfield
Club: Rennes
Before moving to SC Freiburg, and then later, Rennes, Santamaria held talks with Burnley in 2020 and was on the radar of multiple Premier League clubs.
At the time, he was likened to N’Golo Kante. His attributes in FM24 would suggest he is more of a chance-creator who happens to have decent stamina. At 28 years old, he is not a player to build around in the long run but provides a lot of value in the here and now for any club aiming to play in Europe.
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Rapid Wien
Anyone familiar with FM23 will already know about Hedl. The Austrian shot-stopper is often snapped up by a club in the Champions League and, after a few seasons, his value increases a fair bit.
His ability to play out from the back still needs work. But with time, he should develop the relevant attributes needed to start regularly for most clubs, given that he is still just 22. Hedl can also be signed by a wide range of clubs.
Position: Striker
Club: Club Bruges
A good benchmark to use when looking for a striker is their finishing attribute. If you are going to prioritise one stat above all else, focus on that one. Jutgla’s finishing ability (15) passes the threshold.
The Spanish striker moved to Belgium from Barcelona last summer and offers some resale value later on down the line, given that he is still just 24. Because he plays in Belgium, most Premier League sides should not have too much difficulty signing him, and his wage demands will not be too expensive either.
Position: Left-winger
Club: Galatasaray
Akturkoglu scored the equalising goal when Galatasaray beat Manchester United 3-2 in the Champions League, and he has a solid profile in FM24.
He is more expensive than other bargain players we have looked at, but his wage demands are modest. The Turkey international makes sense as a starter for smaller sides or in a back-up role for a club higher up the table.
Position: Attacking midfield
Club: Trabzonspor
What Bakasetas lacks in youthful exuberance, he makes up for with his ability to score screamers from outside the box.
He is 30, so it is not likely that he will be a long-term piece of the puzzle, but his technical abilities are excellent. He is well worth a punt if you need a new number 10.
Position: Defensive midfield
Club: Porto
If you ever find yourself in a random pub quiz and somebody asks who Jurgen Klopp’s first signing was at Liverpool, the answer is Grujic.
He only started five matches in five years at Anfield but has found a home at Porto. He is in the prime of his career and has all the qualities you would want from a cheap defensive midfielder.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
