An XI of the best bargains for under £5m on FM22: James, Sidnei, Kehrer… | OneFootball

An efficient transfer policy is the absolute key if you’re to be successful in Football Manager.

Especially if you’re in charge of a club that doesn’t have millions in the bank, you need to be savvy in the transfer market.

We’ve drawn up a list of the best players who you can sign for under £5million in your first transfer window. The team is built on a 4-2-3-1 formation.

GK: Mattia Perin

Juventus stopper Mattia Perin is a reliable choice in goal. At 28-years-old he has a few years left at his peak.

A bid of £2.8million was enough to sign him a pretty decent price for a goalkeeper whose reflexes are rated at 17.

We’d definitely recommend Perin to any top division side that doesn’t have the capacity to spend fortunes on a goalkeeper.

RB: Ruben Pena

Transfer listed at the start of the game, Pena is a great choice for your first-choice right-back.

However, the deal won’t be an easy one, he is listed at £6.5million, we managed to negotiate this down to £4.8million with a sell-on clause.

To make things even more difficult, both Real Madrid and Barcelona are interested in signing the full-back. If anything, that shows the quality that the 29-year-old possesses.

CB: Thilo Kehrer

We managed to negotiate the price for Kehrer to £3.6million.

The 24-year-old has impressive stats already, but more importantly, he has the ability to grow into a solid player.

This is definitely a signing you need to make should you want to make a profit in the future. However, you might have to pay excessive wages if you’d want to lure him away from PSG.

CB: Sidnei

You won’t have to worry about negotiating this one, as 31-year-old Sidnei is available on a free transfer.

You’ll have to move quickly to sign him up, as Real Madrid, Juventus and Porto all want to sign him on our save. If you can pull this one of he will do a pretty solid job for you in your first season in charge.

LB: Abdou Diallo

Another player who you’ll have to lure away from PSG, Diallo can be used as a left-back and as a centre back.

We paid £3.2million for him, and he’s done a fantastic job, and at 25-years-old he still has time to get even better.

Again, he is a player who you could make a tidy profit on if you chose to, so he is one who should be at the top of your shopping list.

CM: Blaise Matuidi

At 34, Inter Miami’s Matuidi might not seem like a great signing at first.

But for less than £100k you can sign Mr Versatile, who for a season will be a valuable member of your squad.

He’ll be best used as a ball-winning midfielder and could add some quality strength in depth to your squad.

CM: Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro

Available for £4.5million, Akpro is a fantastic signing for any side.

He is able to play in every role as a centre midfielder, meaning whatever tactic you use, he is able to perform in it. The 28-year-old is a signing who will be able to play at the top level for a few more years.

RW: James Rodriguez

This one goes a little over budget, but Rodriguez is a fantastic bargain at £5.5million.

He is best used on the right side of the attacking midfield but can be used anywhere across it, as well as in midfield and up front.

The only problem with this signing will be his wages, and it might take a lot to lure him away from his £200,000 per week contract.

CAM: Eran Zahavi

For £2.7million Zahavi is an absolute steal, he can be used all across the attacking midfield and as a striker.

As well as this he is capable of playing in a number of roles, meaning he’ll adapt to any tactic which you use.

The only downside to this transfer is at 33, you probably won’t make a profit from your £2.7million, and he might struggle to last more than two seasons.

LW: Gonzalo Martinez

The 28-year-old can play on the left and the right-hand side of the field.

We signed him for £3million and it was money well spent.

Martinez is best used in tactics that use inside forwards; however, he is capable of playing as a winger if necessary.

ST: Jonathan Rodriguez

We signed Rodriguez for £4million and are pretty happy with him.

Best used as an advanced forward he suits the popular Gengenpress tactics perfectly.

He can also be used as a left attacking midfielder if necessary; at 28 years old, his low fee seems like a steal.