8 EFL sides you should start a save with on Football Manager 24 | OneFootball

Sports Interactive released Football Manager 2024 in early November, with the game in full swing in late 2023.

Billed as the "most complete edition to date", the new release was hotly anticipated by football fans as SI teased what their loyal customers can expect this year with their trailer, with smarter transfers, the introduction of intermediaries, individual player targets, a refresh for set pieces, and improved graphics among other things catching the eye.

The game is now out and one of the toughest decisions is which team to start a career mode with, so we looked at which EFL sides you should consider managing on FM 24.

Leicester City

Leicester are among the promotion favourites in the Championship.

The Foxes endured an incredibly disappointing campaign as they were relegated from the Premier League last season, but they look well-placed to challenge for an instant return under the guidance of former Manchester City assistant manager Enzo Maresca.

Despite the departures of key players such as Youri Tielemans, James Maddison and Harvey Barnes, Leicester had a strong summer window and as a result are among the favourites for promotion.

With one of the strongest squads and biggest budgets in the Championship, the Foxes will be an excellent team to play as, but can you guide the former Premier League champions and FA Cup winners back to their former glory at the first time of asking?

Leeds United

Like Leicester, it was an incredibly underwhelming season for Leeds as they were relegated from the Premier League.

Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce all failed to turn around their fortunes, with two-time Championship winner Daniel Farke tasked with the challenge of securing promotion at the first attempt.

The Whites have lost a number of last season's squad, with returning loanees and new signings set to feature in the coming campaign.

But under the ownership of 49ers Enterprises, Farke has been given the resources to build a competitive squad, meaning you will be working from a strong base if you decide to manage the West Yorkshire outfit.

Ipswich are hoping to make a splash in the Championship after their promotion from League One.

Under the expert guidance of Kieran McKenna, the Tractor Boys enjoyed a relentless second half of the season, going unbeaten in their last 19 games to secure their return to the second tier.

Ipswich's current squad is well-equipped to achieve success in the Championship, with the likes of Leif Davis, Wes Burns, Conor Chaplin, Nathan Broadhead, Harry Clarke, Jack Taylor and George Hirst all representing excellent options.

The club are known to have vast financial resources, which will be at your fingertips should you take charge, so the Tractor Boys could be one of the most exciting teams to manage in FM24.

Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough missed out on promotion last season as they were beaten by Coventry City in the play-off semi-finals.

But they are widely expected to challenge again this term under Michael Carrick heading into 2024.

Chuba Akpom and Cameron Archer may no longer be at the Riverside but there is no shortage of attacking talent for you to develop should you choose to take charge of Boro.

Plymouth Argyle

Plymouth are back in the Championship for the first time since 2010 after winning the League One title last season.

The Pilgrims were crowned champions after accumulating an impressive 101 points, despite operating on a lower budget than many of their promotion rivals.

Financial restrictions could make managing the Pilgrims in the second tier a challenge, but they have a talented young squad with plenty of room for improvement.

Argyle have never been in the Premier League before. Could you change that by leading them to the top flight?

Derby County

Should you wish to take on a team in League One, there are few better options than Derby.

The Rams were one game away from the Premier League as they reached the Championship play-off final in 2014 and 2019, but financial mismanagement saw them relegated to the third tier in 2022 after a 21-point deduction.

Owner David Clowes has restored stability at Pride Park and after narrowly missing out on the play-offs last season, Paul Warne will be hoping to mount another promotion challenge this term.

In a wide-open League One field, you will have an excellent chance of achieving promotion with Derby and with what should be a healthy budget, there is potential for future success.

Wrexham AFC

Despite being in League Two, it is likely Wrexham will be one of the EFL sides attracting the most attention in the new FM game.

The Red Dragons were promoted from the National League last season, winning the title with an incredible 111 points.

Wrexham have returned to the EFL for the first time since 2008 and many are predicting them to challenge towards the top of the fourth tier under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

The Welsh side already have a strong squad after attracting players such as Ben Tozer, Elliot Lee and Paul Mullin to join them in the National League, but they will have one of the division's bigger budgets to allow you to improve the squad further.

Wrexham's rise up the leagues looks set to continue in the coming years, but how far could you take them?

Notts County

While not attracting the same publicity as Wrexham, Notts County's campaign in the National League last season was equally as impressive.

The Magpies missed out on the title despite accumulating a remarkable 107 points, but they did achieve promotion after beating Chesterfield on penalties in the play-off final at Wembley.

Notts convinced striker David McGoldrick, who was Derby's top scorer in League One last season with 25 goals, to drop down a division to join them this summer and the 35-year-old could form a prolific partnership with Macauley Langstaff, who scored an unbelievable 42 goals last term.

The Magpies' attacking quality provides an excellent platform to achieve success in the game and as with Wrexham, you will have the funds to be able to invest in the squad.