Football Manager 2020: Best Free Agents to sign at the start of your save – Coentrao, Silva & more

The best things in life are free right? So, with Football
Manager 2020 being ultra-realistic, you will find very few clubs having a substantia
budget when you kick off your save.

Why? This is because Sports Interactive take into account
the deals that took place over the recent summer. This means that over £100
million will be slashed from Barcelona’s budget due to the arrival of Antoine
Griezmann.

So, what do you do? Well, you can explore loan signings, but
that is only a temporary solution. It is worth looking at free agents, who can
join your club at any time during the campaign.

That means if you suddenly suffer an injury crisis, you can
bring support in.

With no transfer fee required, all you need to do with the
following players is a agree a salary.

Sekou Sanogo (CA 138 – PA 140)

Age: 30

Position: DM, M (C)

Country: Ivory Coast

Former clubs: Young Boys, Al-Ittihad

Best attributes: 17 balance, 17 teamwork, 17 work rate

Top of the pile is a player you may not be familiar with, but Sekou Sanogo was bossing the midfield for Young Boys up until 2018. A move to Al-Ittihad didn’t work out, so the Ivory Coast international can be yours for free on FM20.

Stats of 17 balance, 17 teamwork and 17 work rate take his
CA to 138, just two shy off his 140 PA.

Fabio Coentrao (CA 135 – PA 150)

Age: 31

Position: D (L), WB (L)

Country: Portugal

Former clubs: Benfica, Real Madrid

Best attributes: 16 off the ball, 15 anticipation, 15 technique

Fabio Coentrao was once lining up alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, and keeping Marcelo out of the starting 11. Injuries struck, but he looked to have shown some form for Sporting Lisbon, a few seasons back – but has failed to find consistently since.

READ MORE: This is what happens when two non-league clubs receive £1 billion on FM20

Aged 31, there is still time to finish his career strong, and
16 off the ball, 15 anticipation and 15 technique should give you enough faith
to make a move for the Portuguese international.

Emiliano Viviano (CA 135 – PA 144)

Age: 33

Position: GK

Country: Italy

Former clubs: Brescia, Bologna, Sampdoria

Best attributes: 16 one on ones, 16 kicking, 16 balance

Arsenal fans may remember a season where Emiliano Viviano was there backup ‘keeper, but the 33-year-old has a great reputation in Italy – having once been on the books at Inter Milan.

The experienced Viviano would again be a reliable number 2
goalie for any top-flight club, especially with more than decent stats of 16
one on ones, 16 kikcing and 16 balance.

Ivan Strinic (CA 134 – PA 144)

Age: 31

Position: D (L), WB (L)

Country: Croatia

Former clubs: Hajduk Split, Dnipro, Napoli

Best attributes: 17 determination, 15 stamina, 14 teamwork

An underrated left back, Ivan Strinic finally got his shot at a big European club with Napoli, but it didn’t quite pay off. With only a handful of reliable left backs out there, the Croatian international would be a shrewd acquisition.

READ MORE: Sports Interactive's 10 best clubs to manage on FM20

17 determination, 15 stamina and 14 teamwork take Strinic’s
CA to 134, having fallen from a 144 potential.

Nicolai Muller (CA 132 – PA 141)

Age: 31

Position: M (R), AM (R)

Country: Germany

Former clubs: Mainz, Hamburg

Best attributes: 17 determination, 15 stamina, 14 teamwork

A German stalwart, Nicolai Muller picked up over 100 appearances
for Mainz. His stock did fall however, with recent moves taking him to the
Australian A-League.

Muller’s 16 determination, 15 stamina and 14 teamwork should
tempt Championship standard clubs, with his CA score sitting at 132.

Lucas Silva (CA 132 – PA 137)

Age: 26

Position: DM, M (C)

Country: Brazil

Former clubs: Cruzeiro, Real Madrid

Best attributes: 15 teamwork, 15 passing, 15 anticipation

Lucas Silva? Remember the young defensive midfielder who was set to inherit Xabi Alonso’s role at Real Madrid? Well the move didn’t go to plan and Lucas Silva was quickly shipped on after a loan move to Marseille.

READ MORE: All the best Wonderkid Left Midfielders (ML) and Attacking Midfielders (AML) on FM20

At only 26 years old, Silva is perhaps the best free agent
to move for on FM20. His 132 CA can rise to a potential of 137, with stats of
15 teamwork, 15 passing and 15 anticipation.

Fran Rico (CA 131 – PA 141)

Age: 31

Position: M (C)

Country: Spain

Former clubs: Granada

Best attributes: 16 first touch, 16 decisions, 16 leadership

Another Real Madrid flop, Fran Rico never graduated from Los
Blancos’ B team. He did fine success at Granada however, playing over 100 times
in the league for the club.

On FM, 16 first touch, 16 decisions and 16 leadership take
his CA to 131, with a potential of 141.

Eugene Khacheridi (CA 130 – PA 150)

Age: 31

Position: D (C)

Country: Ukraine

Former clubs: Dynamo Kiev

Best attributes: 18 jumping reach, 18 strength, 18
aggression

A Ukrainian international, Eugene (or Yevhen) Khacheridi can come into to bolster your back line. He spent a decade at Dynamo Kiev, but a move to PAOK last season only resulted in three league appearances.

READ MORE: All the best Wonderkid Goalkeepers (GK) to sign on FM20

18 jumping reach, 18 strength and 18 aggression are
phenomenal stats for a for a free signing, helping towards a 130 CA.

Michael Krohn-Dehli (CA 130 – PA 146)

Age: 36

Position: M (LC), AM (LC)

Country: Denmark

Former clubs: Brondby, Celta Vigo, Sevilla

Best attributes: 16 passing, 15 composure, 15 vision

Not yet retired aged 36, Michael Krohn-Dehli ca still offer
some midfield control for your side. The former Danish international lifted the
Europa League trophy with Sevilla in 2016, before being used in rotation at Deportivo
La Coruna last season.

The left or central midfielder has a 130 CA, having fallen from
a potential of 146. His best stats include 16 passing, 15 composure and 15 vision.

Valon Behrami (CA 129 – PA 150)

Age: 34

Position: M (C), DM

Country: Switzerland

Former clubs: Lazio, West Ham, Fiorentina, Napoli,
Watford, Udinese

Best attributes: 17 determination, 17 stamina, 17 balance

An absolute journeyman, Valon Behrami has played in the top flight in Italy, England, Germany and Switzerland, and there’s still some life left in those legs. Need experience in your squad, Berhami is your man.

READ MORE: All the best Wonderkid Strikers (ST) to sign on FM20

17 determination, 17 stamina and 17 balance gives the Swiss international a 129 CA, with the 34-year-old PA at 150.

All the best Free Agents on FM20

READ MORE: All the best Wonderkid Central Midfielders (MC) to sign on Football Manager 2020