If you've even a passing interest in Spanish football, you will be aware of Athletic Bilbao's transfer policy of signing players from the Basque country—if you want a realistic Career Mode in FC 24, then these signings will be crucial.
Below, we've included the best signings from the region and some of the youngsters you need to sign. Hopefully, you can have a successful Career Mode that remains realistic.
Athletic Bilbao transfer policy
La Liga football club, Athletic Bilbao, is one of the most unique football clubs in the world.
This is due to their incredibly tight-knit policy of only using players from the Basque region to represent their club.
The Basque Country is a community straddling the border of Northern Spain and a part of France, and Bilbao only sign players who were either born in the region or learned their football skills there.
Many in the FC 24 community take Career Mode saves very seriously, and there’s no better football club to give the most realistic feel possible than this one.
Best Basque players in FC 24 Career Mode
In line with the club's recruitment policy, we will review the top 10 best Basque players in FC 24 Career Mode, which you can sign for Athletic Bilbao in your save.
This means that we will NOT be including any players from Athletic Club, as they already play for them.
First, we will go through the best players before moving on to those with the highest potential.
Mikel Merino (Real Sociedad - 84 OVR)
Real Sociedad CM Mikel Merino is a great option to add to the midfield, with quality all-round stats. Merino started his career at Osasuna before experiencing life as a Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle player. He is valued at around £40 million, so it may be a purchase for the future unless you can find sufficient funds.
Alex Remiro (Real Sociedad - 84 OVR)
Another Sociedad player on this list, and certainly not the last, is GK Alex Remiro. With 86 potential, Remiro has even more room to improve. However, with Unai Simon—Spain's number one—in between the sticks at Bilbao, this signing wouldn't be too necessary unless you would like some fierce competition.
Aymeric Laporte (Al Nassr - 83 OVR)
Treble winner Aymeric Laporte began his career at Bilbao before achieving massive success with Manchester City. Having moved to Al Nassr last summer, it could be a realistic move to bring Laporte back to the Basque region after a season or two to retire in the place where it all began. It would be a real fairy tale story for the CB.
Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad - 83 OVR)
Technically, one of the best wingers in La Liga, Mikel Oyarzabal, is another player who needed to pry away from Real Sociedad. His shooting and dribbling ability is second to none, and he would be a great addition to Athletic Bilbao. However, similarly to Merino, the winger wouldn't come cheaply.
David Garcia (Osasuna - 82 OVR)
David Garcia is the perfect player to add to Athletic Bilbao's back line, and at 82-rated can easily slot into the defense. The Osasuna CB would be a great partner with Yeray, and could even sit on the right-hand side of a new-look defence with Aymeric Laporte. At 29 at the start of Career Mode, Garcia's signing wouldn't break the bank, either.
Here are seven more of the best Basque players to sign in an Athletic Bilbao Career Mode:
Name | Age | Club | Overall | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
Inigo Martinez | 32 | Barcelona | 82 | CB |
Martin Zubimendi | 24 | Real Sociedad | 81 | CDM |
Kepa | 28 | Real Madrid | 80 | GK |
Aritz Elustondo | 29 | Real Sociedad | 80 | CB |
Igor Zubeldia | 26 | Real Sociedad | 80 | CB |
Ivan Martin | 24 | Girona | 80 | CM |
Jon Moncayola | 25 | Osasuna | 78 | CM |
Best Basque Wonderkids in FC 24 Career Mode
With the best players out of the way, we will look at the best potential Basque players in FC 24. These players may not be the highest-rated straight away, but they possess the ability to grow into solid La Liga players - and who doesn't love a Career Mode Wonderkid?
Once again, we will NOT be including any players from Athletic Club.
As the list is more scarce than other teams who can sign anyone, we have included players 23 years old and below.
Ander Barrenetxea (Real Sociedad - 83 POT)
We head back to Real Sociedad as we look at one of the game's most promising La Liga wingers. With the ability to play on either wing, a future of Nico Williams and Ander Barrenetxea could be on the cards! The 21-year-old has impressive pace and dribbling stats, the perfect combination for any wide player.
Aimar Oroz (Osasuna - 83 POT)
Aimar Oroz, the perfect midfield partner to Guillamon, offers excellent ball control, impressive finishing, and a good eye for a pass. Oroz would be a decent pickup for Bilbao and is an ideal option to sit just in front of the defensive midfielder, again bringing youthful energy and talent to the team.
Hugo Guillamon (Valencia - 80 POT)
Capable of playing as a CDM, CM, or CB, Valencia's Hugo Guillamon is perhaps one of the most versatile players on this list and has the physical ability to take up any of the three positions despite only being 5'10". He is an excellent option for Bilbao and would provide much-needed energy to an aging midfield.
Here is a list of five more Basque players who carry decent potential in FC 24 Career Mode, and if you are ever short of transfer funds, these are the names you should turn to.
Name | Age | Club | OVR/POT | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jon Pacheco | 22 | Real Sociedad | 71 / 81 | CB |
Borja Sainz | 22 | Norwich City | 71 / 77 | LM |
Jon Karrikaburu | 20 | FC Andorra | 66 / 79 | ST |
Benat Turrientes | 21 | Real Sociedad | 68 / 79 | CM |
Julen Jon | 19 | Deportivo Alaves | 61 / 78 | ST |
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