Not everyone who plays Football Manager 2023 wants to manage one of the biggest, richest clubs. Many of us want to manage our own favorite team, and if that’s a lower level club, then scouting for players becomes less of a talent search and more of a bargain hunt. Fortunately, there are several ways to seek out those players who are not only cheap, but also really worth having.
Related: Best wonderkids to sign in Football Manager 2023
How to find cheap players in Football Manager 2023
The best ways to find cheap players are as follows:
- Players with expired contracts: Either they’ll still be at a club, or they’ll be free agents. Either way, you can get them for no transfer fee at all.
- Players with expiring contracts: If a player has less than 6 months to go on their contract, you can try to sign them for nothing. But even if they have less than a year to go, you can often negotiate a fee that’s less than what they’re really worth.
- Transfer listed players: When a club lists a player, they usually set an asking price that’s less than the player is worth.
- Players with minimum fee release clauses: Most minimum fees are well above a player’s value at the time the contract is signed, but if the contract was signed a few seasons ago and they’ve improved dramatically since, then the minimum fee can be a bargain.
- Players from South America: Once they sign for a European club, Brazilian and Argentine players’ values go through the roof, so European clubs looking for a bargain should sign them while they’re still playing in their home countries.
The best cheap players at the start of the Football Manager 2023 season
If you’re starting a new game in Football Manager 2023, then look out for the players listed below.
Alejandro Pozuelo
Cheap Because: Contract expiring
Position: Attacking midfielder
Age: 30
Nationality: Spanish
Club: Inter Miami
Transfer Value: £180K – 9M
Wage: £55K p/w
Victor Wanyama
Cheap Because: Contract expiring
Position: Defensive midfielder
Age: 31
Nationality: Kenyan
Club: CF Montreal
Transfer Value: £1.3M – 2.9M
Wage: £52K p/w
Eden Hazard
Cheap Because: Transfer listed
Position: Winger
Age: 31
Nationality: Belgian
Club: R. Madrid
Transfer Value: £27M
Wage: £375K p/w
Marcel Sabitzer
Cheap Because: Transfer listed
Position: Midfielder
Age: 28
Nationality: Austrian
Club: FC Bayern
Transfer Value: £19M
Wage: £165K p/w
Ricardo Horta
Cheap Because: Minimum fee release clause
Position: Winger
Age: 27
Nationality: Portugese
Club: BRG
Transfer Value: £26M
Wage: £8.25K p/w
Nahuel Molina
Cheap Because: Minimum fee release clause
Position: Full back
Age: 24
Nationality: Argentinian
Club: A. Madrid
Transfer Value: £26M
Wage: £18.75K p/w
Alberto Moreno
Cheap Because: Minimum fee release clause
Position: Full back
Age: 30
Nationality: Spanish
Club: Villareal
Transfer Value: £13M – 16M
Wage: £20K p/w
Alfonso Pedraza
Cheap Because: Minimum fee release clause
Position: Full back
Age: 26
Nationality: Spanish
Club: Villareal
Transfer Value: £19M
Wage: £27K p/w
Williot Swedberg
Cheap Because: Minimum fee release clause
Position: Midfielder
Age: 18
Nationality: Swedish
Club: Vigo
Transfer Value: £13M – 21M
Wage: £2.6K p/w
Gabriel Barbosa
Cheap Because: Plays in South America
Position: Striker
Age: 25
Nationality: Brazilian
Club: FLA
Transfer Value: £11.5M – £19M
Wage: £58K p/w
