Football Manager 2019: Best Goalkeepers

Goalkeepers are often a forgotten part of the team, but these days they are more in vogue than ever. This summer saw the transfer record for a goalkeeper broken twice as well as one of the most talented keepers in the world move to the biggest club in the world.

How to choose the best goalkeepers in Football Manager 19

In this piece we will be looking at the best goalkeepers in Football Manager 19. These are the players that, regardless of price or even age, that you want between the sticks in the biggest games. They need to have excellent shot-stopping attributes but also be strong mentally so they are consistent and at their best in the key moments. Who are the best goalkeepers in Football Manager 19?

Manuel Neuer (CA 186 - PA 193)

Age: 32

Club: Bayern Munich

Country: Germany

Best Attributes: Anticipation (20), Composure (20), Rushing Out (20)

Value: £60 million

Wage: £250,000 a week

Manuel Neuer has long been considered the best goalkeeper in the world. He joined Bayern Munich in 2011 for around £26 million from Schalke and the German giants haven't looked back. He has won four UEFA goalkeeper of the Year awards and the Golden Glove in the 2014 World Cup.

In Football Manager 19 Neuer is an excellent goalkeeper. His shot-stopping is remarkable (16 one on ones, 16 reflexes) and the mental side of his game is terrific (20 composure, 20 anticipation, 16 positioning). However, it his distribution that separates Neuer from the rest (20 throwing, 19 kicking, 13 passing). 

David de Gea (CA 180 - PA 185)

Age: 27

Club: Manchester United

Country: Spain

Best Attributes: Reflexes (20), Handling (18), Agility (18)

Value: £56 million

Wage: £200,000 a week

David de Gea is another candidate for best goalkeeper in the world. He came to Manchester United in 2011 for £17 million from Atletico Madrid in a move that has worked out exceedingly well for the British club. He has been named to the last four PFA Teams of the Year and won the Premier League Golden Glove last season. He has also taken the number 1 shirt for Spain.

In Football Manager 19 De Gea is an exceptional shot-stopper (20 reflexes, 18 handling, 18 agility) and can stop almost anything. He has good presence at set pieces (16 aerial reach, 15 positioning, 14 command of area) and has reasonable distribution too (16 kicking, 12 passing).

Jan Oblak (CA 172 - PA 176)

Age: 25

Club: Atletico Madrid

Country: Slovenia

Best Attributes: Reflexes (18), Handling (18), Composure (17)

Value: £50 million

Wage: £185,000 a week

Jan Oblak started his career with Olimpija Ljubljana but was quickly signed by Benfica. He only made 16 starts for the Portuguese club but won the league's best goalkeeper in July 2014 before making a €16 million move to Atletico Madrid. Over the last few years Oblak has developed into an elite goalkeeper with a lengthy career ahead of him.

In Football Manager 19 Jan Oblak is an excellent goalkeeper. His keeper stats are remarkable (18 reflexes, 18 handling, 16 one on ones) and he has very good mental attributes as well (17 composure, 17 decisions, 16 positioning). At just 25 Oblak is an elite goalkeeper with the longest shelf life, so if you were thinking about blowing up that record transfer fee he would be the one to do it for.

Alisson Becker (CA 170 - PA 185)

Age: 25

Club: Liverpool

Country: Brazil

Best Attributes: Determination (19), Reflexes (18), Composure (18)

Value: £49 million

Wage: £90,000 a week

Alisson is another in the next generation of top goalkeepers. He has been playing in Europe for just two years, but his performances for Roma were good enough for Liverpool to pay £56 million for him this summer. Alisson was the goalkeeper of choice for Brazil at the World Cup this year.

Becker is a terrific goalkeeper in Football Manager 19. The mental side of his game is extremely strong (19 determination, 18 composure, 17 positioning) and he is physically very capable (18 natural fitness, 15 agility, 15 jumping reach). His shot stopping is excellent (18 reflexes, 18 rushing out, 16 one on ones) and he can distribute the ball very well too (18 kicking, 16 passing, 15 throwing).

Marc-Andre ter Stegen (CA 168 - PA 183)

Age: 26

Club: Barcelona

Country: Germany

Best Attributes: Kicking (19), Composure (18), Rushing Out (18)

Value: £47 million

Wage: £150,000 a week

Marc-Andre ter Stegen joined Barcelona from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2014, but he had to wait to take his place between the sticks full time. That chance came at the start of the 2016/17 season and he didn't look back. In two years Ter Stegen has lifted the Copa del Rey twice and La Liga last season. He has won just 21 caps for Germany however, as he is blocked by Manuel Neuer.

Ter Stegen has excellent mental attributes in Football Manager 19 (18 determination, 18 composure, 17 anticipation) to go along with very good physical ones (16 jumping reach, 16 balance, 15 strength). His stop-stopping ability is strong too (18 rushing out, 17 reflexes) but he is a touch behind other keepers in things like one on ones (12) and aerial reach (13). His distribution is very good though, helping him drive Barcelona forward (19 kicking, 17 passing, 17 throwing).

Gianluigi Buffon (CA 167 - PA 171)

Age: 40

Club: Paris Saint-Germain

Country: Italy

Best Attributes: Command Of Area (20), Communication (20), Positioning (20)

Value: £4.9 million

Wage: £145,000 a week

Gianluigi Buffon is one of the greatest goalkeepers to ever play the game. The 40-year-old legend joined Juventus in 2001 for a massive €52 million, a record for a goalkeeper that wasn't broken until this summer. In that time he won 11 Serie A titles and four Coppa Italias. He also won the 2006 World Cup with Italy, for who he made an incredible 176 appearances.

Even at 40, Buffon is an excellent goalkeeper in Football Manager 19. His command of the box and organisation is second to none (20 command of area, 20 communication), his leadership (20) is excellent and the mental side of his game is terrific (20 positioning, 18 determination, 17 composure, 17 anticipation). Despite his age Buffon's shot stopping is still very good (18 rushing out, 17 one on ones, 16 reflexes).

Thibaut Courtois (CA 165 - PA 183)

Age: 26

Club: Real Madrid

Country: Belgium

Best Attributes: Jumping Reach (19), Aerial Reach (18), Reflexes (17)

Value: £49.5 million

Wage: £225,000 a week

Thibaut Courtois made just 41 appearances for Genk before Chelsea signed him in 2011 and sent him off to Atletico Madrid on loan for a few years. There the Belgian goalkeeper honed his skills, and by the time he returned to Chelsea he was very accomplished. His presence forced Chelsea hero Petr Cech out, but the fans didn't mind too much when Courtois started putting in world class performances. After a strong World Cup campaign with Belgium and several great seasons at Chelsea he moved to Real Madrid this summer for around £35 million.

Courtois is an excellent goalkeeper in Football Manager 19. His shot-stopping is terrific (17 reflexes, 17 one on ones, 17 handling) and he is excellent against crosses and set pieces too (19 jumping reach, 18 aerial reach). His mental stats are good, but not as strong as some of the veteran keepers in this list (15 positioning, 15 concentration, 15 decisions). Still, at just 26 Courtois has a lot of football ahead of him and plenty of room to improve.

Keylor Navas, Real Madrid (CA 165 - PA 167)

Age: 31

Club: Real Madrid

Country: Costa Rica

Best Attributes: Reflexes (19), Agility (18), Concentration (18)

Value: £44 million

Wage: £150,000 a week

Keylor Navas came over to Europe in 2010 with Albacete. He played there for one season before joining Levante. His performances there were good enough for Real Madrid to come calling when they needed a new goalkeeper.

Navas is underrated by most football fans, but not by Football Manager 19. He is an excellent shot-stopper (19 reflexes, 16 one on ones) and he is very consistent (18 concentration, 15 work rate). Navas is not as strong against crosses as Courtois (12 jumping reach, 10 aerial reach) and his distribution is only ok (15 throwing, 13 kicking, 9 passing).

Ederson, Manchester City (CA 164 - PA 180)

Age: 24

Club: Manchester City

Country: Brazil

Best Attributes: Kicking (20), Bravery (18), Passing (17)

Value: £39 million

Wage: £100,000 a week

Ederson has spent most of his career with Benfica in Portugal, until 2017 when Manchester City spent £35 million to sign him. They haven't been disappointed, as Ederson has risen to the challenge of playing in the Premier League and Champions League on a regular basis. He is yet to make an impact on the international stage however, as he is second fiddle to Alisson Becker.

Ederson has terrific distribution in Football Manager 19 (20 kicking, 17 passing, 17 throwing, 17 vision) and may be even better that Manuel Neuer in a few years time. His mental attributes are also very good for a player of his age (18 bravery, 16 composure, 16 concentration). As a shot-stopper Ederson isn't yet world-class, but he could be very soon (15 reflexes, 15 handling) and his aerial performance isn't yet brilliant (13 jumping reach, 13 aerial reach).

Hugo Lloris (CA 162 - PA 170)

Age: 31

Club: Tottenham Hotspur

Country: France

Best Attributes: Rushing Out (19), Reflexes (18), Bravery (18)

Value: £43 million

Wage: £100,000 a week

Hugo Lloris started his career with Nice before moving to Olympique Lyonnais. He made a big impact there and caught the eye of Spurs, who got a bargain when they signed him for just £11 million in 2012. He has already made over 200 appearances for his club and won 100+ caps for France. He took the armband for his country in 2012 and lifted the World Cup this past summer.

In Football Manager 19 Lloris is a terrific shot-stopper (19 rushing out, 18 reflexes, 17 handling, 17 one on ones) who excels in every situation. His mental attributes are very strong as well (18 bravery, 17 anticipation, 16 positioning). Lloris is not the kind of distributor that the young generation of keepers are, but he is arguably better than a lot of them at preventing goals.

All the best goalkeepers in Football Manager 2019