Football Manager 2024 top bargains: All the best cheap signings

Cameron Smith
Cameron Smith
  • 6 Nov 2023 12:42 GMT
  • 5 min read
Koen Casteels, Wolfsburg, Belgium
© ProShots

Football Manager 2024 is here, with an all-new rating database for fans of the popular game to get their hands on.

As ever, Football Manager is the go-to place for football fans to build a club in their image, signing young talents and watching them develop into world-beaters.

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Starting with clubs such as Real Madrid or Manchester City will give you a huge budget in FM24, although most fans of the game prefer starting with a smaller club and helping them rise up the divisions to glory.

READ MORE: Football Manager 2024 wonderkids - The best young goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards

While signing the best players in the world is possible with the biggest clubs, if you choose to manage a smaller team, then you’ll have to be far smarter with your transfer budget. As a result, signing bargain stars could prove crucial.

Below, FootballTransfers lists the best bargain players currently available to sign on Football Manager 2024. We have narrowed our list down to five players in each position group, with a maximum transfer value of £10 million on the game and at least 3.5 star reputation.

READ MORE: Football Manager 2024 best players - All the top forwards, midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers

The five best bargain goalkeepers on Football Manager 2024

PlayerClubValue
Mat RyanAZ Alkmaar£4.6m-£6.8m
Koen CasteelsWolfsburg£4.3m-£6.6m
Maarten VandevoordtGenk£550k-£4.3m
Keylor NavasPSG£2m-£4.1m
Hugo LlorisTottenham£1.8m-£3.5m

Mat Ryan is the most expensive goalkeeper on this list, but he has years of experience in European football as well as with the Australia national team, so remains a bargain at under £7m.

Furthermore, Wolfsburg shot-stopper Koen Casteels is one of the best goalkeepers in the Bundesliga and his value of less than £7m is therefore bizarre. However, he's a great cheap pick-up, especially given he is only his early-thirties.

Maarten Vandevoordt is the youngest 'keeper on this list by some distance, but he has the potential to become one of the world's very best and his low value is quite shocking.

Experienced duo Keylor Navas and Hugo Lloris complete the list. They won't be long-term solutions, but could be good short-term fixes in Football Manager 2024.

Hugo Lloris, Tottenham
© ProShots - Hugo Lloris, Tottenham

The five best bargain defenders on Football Manager 2024

PlayerClubValue
Zeki CelikRoma£4.9m-£6.8m
Josip StanisicLeverkusen£5.6m-£6.6m
Leo DuboisIstanbul Basaksehir£500k-£5m
Layvin KurzawaPSG£1m
Juan CuadradoInter£75k-£750k

Zeki Celik has been a reliable performer for both Lille and Roma in recent years, yet he can be signed for between £4.9m and £6.8m on Football Manager 2024. The Turkish star is therefore an excellent bargain option.

Josip Stanisic also falls into that category thanks to his low valuation in the game. He is on loan at Bayer Leverkusen from Bayern Munich and given he is not yet 25, Stanisic is a great cheap option.

Leo Dubois is not yet 30 and following his successful stint at Lyon, he is now plying his trade in the Turkish Super Lig. However, he can be signed for as little as £500k if your negotiation skills are on point.

Layvin Kurzawa and Juan Cuadrado both represent experienced options that could be sensible short-term signings.

The five best bargain midfielders on Football Manager 2024

PlayerClubValue
Houssem AouarRoma£4.9m-£6m
Corentin TolissoLyon£4.8m-£6m
Ainsley Maitland-NilesLyon£400k-£4m
Axel WitselAtletico Madrid£300k-£3m
Dele AlliEverton£180k-£1.8m

Houssem Aouar joined AS Roma on a free transfer in the 2023 summer transfer window, yet his valuation of £4.9m-£6m on Football Manager 2024 is still a bargain for someone with his talent.

Likewise, his former Lyon team-mate Corentin Tolisso is a great option at a very similar price point and current Lyon star Ainsley Maitland-Niles is included for the fact he can be signed for as little as £400k.

Axel Wistel is now a centre-back at Atletico Madrid, but the Belgian is equally capable of playing in defensive midfield and his likely fee of between £300k to £3m is great value.

Axel Witsel, Atletico Madrid
© ProShots - Axel Witsel, Atletico Madrid

Dele Alli rounds out the list at under £2m.

The five best bargain forwards on Football Manager 2024

PlayerClubValue
Lukas NmechaWolfsburg£5.8m-£8.8m
Lucas MouraSao Paulo£450k-£4.5m
Divock OrigiNottingham Forest£500k-£4.2m
Krepin DiattaMonaco£400k-£3.9m
Luka JovicMilan£300k-£2.9m

Lukas Nmecha is the most expensive player on this list at a maximum value of £8.8m. However, the Wolfsburg man has nearly 10 Germany caps and good be a smart signing on Football Manager 2024.

Lucas Moura returned to Brazil this summer and his value has plummeted since leaving Tottenham Hotspur. As a result, it's possible to sign the forward for as little as £450k on the game.

Nottingham Forest's Divock Origi, Monaco's Krepin Diatta and Milan's Luka Jovic all represent cheap, bargain signings too.

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