FIFA 22 Man City Career Mode Guide: Starting lineup and who to sign

Man City is a popular choice in FIFA 22 Career Mode, with the squad full of so many world-class talents!

Can you be the manager to take City all the way to European glory at last in Career Mode?

Latest - Adidas Numbers Up out now in FUT!

The first batch of Adidas x EA Sports items is now available in packs with some cracking new cards to look out for.

Germany and Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is the highest-rated of the lot with a huge 91 OVR.

La Liga stars Joao Felix and Eder Militao should also prove popular players, especially when they receive their full upgrades.

There are three Premier League stars in the first release too, with Diogo Jota, Sergio Reguilon, and Declan Rice all included.

To find out exactly how the Adidas Numbers Up 99 cards work, head here.

Team Rating

Manchester City have a five-star rating in FIFA 22.

The breakdown of the ratings is as follows: ATT 85, MID 85, DEF 86.

Starting Lineup and Formation

It’s usually a 4-3-3 for Man City, and we recommend sticking with some variation of this to get the best out of your attacking players.

With only Gabriel Jesus as a recognised striker, a False 9 can be deployed with the likes of Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, and Kevin De Bruyne all more than capable of excelling in the role.

Ferran Torres can also play through the middle, so there is competition for places.

On the defensive side of things Ederson is the main man in goal, while Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo are the two first choice full backs.

In the centre of defence comes a bit of a dilemma. One of either Aymeric Laporte or John Stones will partner Ruben Dias, with Rodri shielding the back four in the CDM position.

The subs bench is packed with class and we are yet to even mention the likes of Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling, and Ilkay Gundogan.

Tactics and Instructions

Not only are City a quality side on the ball, but they are incredibly hard-working off it!

The default tactics are pretty strong, but you may want to make a couple of adjustments to get the best out of your key players.

For the central midfield players is it key to have them set to “Cover Centre” for their Defensive Position or you may find yourself overrun in the middle.

So far in FIFA 22 we have found that a balanced game plan has worked nicely, but some alterations may be warranted in the attack.

Players like Grealish and Mahrez don’t have the blistering pace of someone like Sterling, so there is little point in asking them to get in behind.

Instead, get them to “Cut Inside” and utilise their creativity and dribbling skills to wreak havoc.

Development Plans

The way the new Development Plans work means that you can get the most out of your players and shape them into the players you want!

In terms of player positioning, we are relatively happy with the current squad, although Ferran Torres (POT 90) to a Striker could be a good call in the long run.

Transfer Market

Starting budget: £184 million

Who should go?

City’s squad is so strong it needs very little work, but it is worth having a bit of a clear out anyway.

Midfield stalwart Fernandinho is first on the chopping block, although the more sentimental among you may choose to let him see out his playing days in City colours.

He will free up 86k in wages though and could command a transfer fee of around £5 million.

Centre-back Nathan Ake is up next as his potential means he will never be a first-choice player. Expect around £15 million for the Dutch defender with a further £82k added to the wage budget.

City has several youngsters with potential below 80, so they are worth selling rather than sending out on loan.

Cieren Slicker, Luke Bolton, Iker Pozo, Joshua Wilson-Esbrand, and James McAtee can all be put up for sale.

Loans

Nice and easy, there are seven teenagers that are worth loaning out in the first season.

Samuel Edozie (POT 82), Luke Mbete (POT 82), Cole Palmer (POT 84), Jayden Braaf (POT 84), Liam Delap (POT 85), Romeo Lavia (POT 85), and Kayky (POT 87) could all benefit from a loan spell.

City currently has 12 players out on loan, and it definitely worth keeping an eye on the progress of Pablo Moreno (POT 81), Nahuel Bustos (POT 82), Issa Kabore (POT 82), Yangel Herrera (POT 84), and Pedro Porro (POT 87).

Who to sign?

There are two positions that you should look at signing for City, with the first a world-class striker.

You need a player that is going to finish all the chances you will create with the plethora of attacking midfielders at your disposal, and who is better than Norwegian sensation Erling Haaland.

You will need your whole budget to sign Haaland though as his value is around £120 million, and his release clause is over £200 million!

With an 88 OVR and potential of 93, Haaland is the real deal.

Transfer Options (ST/CF)

The second key position to bolster the squad is a top-quality left-back, and they can be hard to find.

Fortunately, the two best options also boast the highest potential, so you are also buying for the future too.

Theo Hernandez (OVR 84) is the main man to go for, although Alphonso Davies (OVR 82) is not far behind!

Valued at just over £50 million, Hernandez will be worth the cash if you can afford to bring him in as well as Haaland.

Alternative Options

Board Expectations

You NEED to win. That is all that matters at Man City.

Domestic Success and Continental Success are both critical, so expect to see the board asking for trophies in every competition you play in.

Brand Exposure is another critical expectation, so you will likely need to raise a bucket load of cash through shirt sales (basically just sign a superstar).

Financial and Youth Development are less crucial to your success, so you can put them to one side.