Who are the best free agents in FM24? Free agents are players who are unattached to clubs when you load a new save for the first time. Often, free Football Manager players are older players coming to the end of their career but could still do a job, or they might be younger players who didn’t make the cut when leaving top-tier academies. They’re the perfect signings for clubs with a limited transfer budget if you still need to strengthen your team.
Free agents in Football Manager 24 can also be signed and sold for a profit if you can make them attractive to the transfer market. If you don’t feel like scouring the football game for yourself, we’ve done the hard work and highlighted the best free agents in FM24 to suit a range of club sizes. Note: if you load smaller databases in FM24, not all of these players will be loaded.
How to find the best free agents in FM24
You need to move quickly in the transfer market as the best free agents won’t be unattached forever. To find free agents, under the Scouting tab select Player Search, and use the quick filter ‘unattached’ to show all. Be sure to tick ‘interested in transfer’ to make sure you’re not aiming too high. We like to sort these players by world reputation, or international caps, to find the world beaters.
FM24 best free goalkeepers
A reliable goalkeeper can be the difference between a good season and a great season. Key goalkeeping attributes to look out for are Positioning, Reflexes, Composure, and One-on-Ones. Also keep in mind your goalies’ height; taller players aren’t always better, but height (and therefore reach) can separate performances between players with otherwise similar attributes.
Former Manchester United stopper David De Gea is the pick of the free goalies in FM24. He won the golden glove for most Premier League clean sheets last season but it still didn’t earn him a contract. A more affordable option for a lower reputation club will be someone like Gonzalo Collao, who at 25 should develop nicely too and presents a great option to sell on.
Here are all of the best free goalkeepers in FM24:
- David De Gea – Spain, 32, GK ($66-$80k p/w)
- Timo Horn – Germany, 30, GK ($22-28k p/w)
- Gonzalo Collao – Chile, 25, GK ($4-5.35k p/w)
- Sergio Asenjo – Spain, 34, GK ($23-28k p/w)
- Matt Macey – England, 28, GK ($5-7k p/w)
FM24 best free defenders
Attackers win games, but defenders win championships. The important defensive attributes change depending on whether you’re after a center back or a fullback, but at all times you should sign a player with good Marking, Tackling, and Anticipation stats. Good physical attributes are vital which is where some older free agents tend to decline, so keep an eye on those when scouting.
Signing veteran Bundesliga center back Jérôme Boateng on a free transfer could be a great deal for your next club. Even at 34, his key attributes are still brilliant, and at 6’4” he adds a solid physical presence to most teams.
Here are all of the best free defenders in FM24:
- Jérôme Boateng – Germany, 34, CB ($11-15k p/w)
- Sulayman Marreh – Gambia, 27, CB/CDM ($7.5-9k p/w)
- Ryan Bertrand – England, 33, LB/LWB ($30-35k p/w)
- Emmanuel Attipoe – Ghana, 23, LB/RB ($4-7k p/w)
- Matt Lowton – England, 34, RB ($5-7k p/w)
- Todd Kane – England, 29, LB/LWB ($5-7k p/w)
FM24 best free midfielders
If you need someone to pull the strings in the middle of the park, there are plenty of unattached midfielders to pick from. Role choice is key in Football Manager, and you have to decide when signing a CM whether you need a box-to-box midfielder, a hard-hitting deep-lying playmaker, or a creative wizard mezzala. We always opt for central midfielders with a high Work Rate and Teamwork, so watch out for these mental attributes when browsing for a free agent.
Our highlight is Portuguese CM Xeka. At 28, he has his best years ahead of him when selected in a playmaking role. Expect him to rack up assists and occasionally contribute on the scoresheet too.
Here are all of the best free midfielders in FM24:
- Xeka – Portugal, 28, CM ($30-36k p/w)
- Matty Longstaff – England, 23, DM/CM ($5-7k p/w)
- Peter Etebo – Nigeria, 27, DM ($22-27k p/w)
- Javier Pastore – Argentina, 34, AMC ($9-11.5k p/w)
- Vasco Walz – Germany, 18, DM/CM ($1.9-2.3k p/w)
- Lucas Biglia – Argentina, 37, DM ($22-26k p/w)
FM24 best free wingers
Wingers typically command high fees because of their integral role in attack, contributing goals and assists. Whatever the size of your club, the key attributes to look for in a winger include Pace, Acceleration, Dribbling, and Crossing. Keep an eye out for wingers with low stamina, as they run out of gas on the pitch and never complete a full 90 minutes for your side.
Another free agent to watch out for who was let go by Manchester United is Jesse Lingard, but he’s not our top tip. 20-year-old Nemanja Jović looks to be one of the best free agents in the game. His low wage demands make him a perfect prospect to build up a second-tier club.
Here are all of the best free wingers in FM24:
- Nemanja Jović – Serbia, 20, AML ($5-7k p/w)
- Karim Bellarabi – Germany, 33, AMR ($11-13.5k p/w)
- Jesse Lingard – England, 30, AML/AMC ($37-45k p/w)
- Tanguy Coulibaly – France, 22, AML/AMR ($20-23k p/w)
- Andre Ayew – Ghana, 33, AMR/STC ($10-12k p/w)
- Kebir Ali Canpolat – Turkey, 16, AMR/AML ($1.3-1.7k p/w)
FM24 best free strikers
If you need more goals, then bringing in a free agent striker is a good idea to bolster your attack. Good strikers don’t often come cheap, which is why keeping an eye on the free agent list each July in-game is the best way to save money. Key attributes for strikers include Finishing, First Touch, and Technique. Don’t forget to look out for Anticipation and off-the-ball attributes too, so they can find space to receive the ball.
Fabio Quagliarella is a legend of Italian football, and don’t let his age put you off, his mental and technical stats are still impressive, and he’s happy to sign for a second-tier club. His ‘born leader’ personality makes him a brilliant mentor for younger forwards too, and if you can keep him happy just by making the occasional cameo, he’s worth signing for his influence alone.
Here are all of the best free strikers in FM24:
- Fabio Quagliarella – Italy, 40, STC ($9-11k p/w)
- Alan – China, 33, STC ($10.5-12.5k p/w)
- Connor Wickham – England, 30, STC ($10-11.75k p/w)
- Ryan Babel – Netherlands, 36, STC ($7-9k p/w)
- DJ Campton-Sturridge – England, 21, STC ($700-900 p/w)
And there you have it, those are the best FM24 free agents to sign. If you’re looking to bolster your team, we have a best Football Manager 2024 bargains guide to pick up excellent players at a discount. We also have a guide on the best teams to manage in FM24 if you want to set yourself up with a different challenge entirely.