If you’re struggling for cash on Career Mode, you need to be looking at contract expiry signings. These are EFL Championship players you can sign for free at the end of the season, so if you are looking to save cash they are an absolute godsend.
The standard of The Championship is improving every year, and whether you are a bottom half Premier League club or working your way up from League Two, you should be able to find some scalps from the English second tier.
For our guide on how to make a contract expiry signing click here.
Table of Contents
- Wes Hoolahan (OVR 76 – POT 76)
- John Terry (OVR 76 – POT 76)
- Abel Hernandez (OVR 75 – POT 75)
- Bartosz Bialkowski (OVR 75 – POT 75)
- Souleymane Bamba (OVR 75 – POT 75)
- Junior Hoilett (OVR 74 – POT 74)
- Bobby Reid (OVR 73 – POT 78)
- Massimo Luongo (OVR 73 – POT 76)
- Greg Cunningham (OVR 73 – POT 74)
- Pablo Hernandez (OVR 73 – POT 73)
- Other Championship player contracts expiring in 2018
A full list of ALL the Championship contract expiry signings rated 70 or higher can be found at the bottom of this page.
Wes Hoolahan (OVR 76 – POT 76)
Age: 35
Positions: CAM, RM, LM
Club: Norwich City
Country: Republic of Ireland
Work rate: Medium/Medium
Best stats: 88 balance, 83 vision, 80 ball control
Wage: £27,000 a week
At the age of 35, Wes Hoolahan’s days as a top-flight footballer may be over, but the Irish international is still a very capable player. The attacking or wide midfielder has twice won promotion to the Premier League with Norwich and has over 50 career goals to his name.
Hoolahan’s 76 overall means he could be a valuable squad player for a season, especially with attributes of 88 balance, 83 vision and 80 ball control. You will need wages of £27,000 a week to secure the playmaker.
John Terry (OVR 76 – POT 76)
Age: 36
Positions: CB
Club: Aston Villa
Country: England
Work rate: Medium/High
Best stats: 83 strength, 82 composure, 81 marking
Wage: £24,000 a week
One of the greatest defenders the game has ever seen, John Terry won five Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups a Champions League and a Europa League during his two decades at Chelsea. The 36-year-old centre back was let go at the end of last season, signing a one-year contract with Championship side Aston Villa.
83 strength, 82 composure and 81 marking give Terry a 76 overall rating, but at his age you will only need him for one season. His current wages are £24,000 a week.
Abel Hernandez (OVR 75 – POT 75)
Age: 26
Positions: ST
Club: Hull City
Country: Uruguay
Work rate: Medium/Low
Best stats: 85 acceleration, 82 sprint speed, 81 agility
Wage: £12,000 a week
Hull find themselves in a relegation battle this season, and that is partly down to an injury sustained by Abel Hernandez. The 26-year-old striker has been out for six months, and Hull have really missed the Uruguayan international’s goals.
A summer exit from The Tigers could be on the cards, and you will need wages of just £12,000 a week to tempt him to your club on FIFA 18. Hernandez’s 75 overall consists of 85 acceleration, 82 sprint speed and 81 agility.
Bartosz Bialkowski (OVR 75 – POT 75)
Age: 29
Positions: GK
Club: Ipswich Town
Country: Poland
Work rate: Medium/Medium
Best stats: 77 GK reflexes, 74 reactions, 74 GK positioning
Wage: £14,000 a week
After being thrown around a few Football League clubs, Polish goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski has found a home at Ipswich. The 29-year-old has played 134 times for The Tractor Boys since arriving from Notts County in 2014 and is among the Championship’s most reliable goalkeepers.
Bialkowski could be a good signing for a Premier League side looking for a back-up ‘keeper, and his wages cost just £14,000 a week. That will get you his 75 overall rating which consists of 77 GK reflexes, 74 reactions and 74 GK positioning.
Souleymane Bamba (OVR 75 – POT 75)
Age: 32
Positions: CB, CDM
Club: Cardiff City
Country: Ivory Coast
Work rate: Medium/Medium
Best stats: 88 strength, 82 aggression, 78 interceptions
Wage: £23,000 a week
When Souleymane Bamba was at Leicester, he looked as if he could make the step up to the Premier League. Despite 55 appearances over two seasons for the then Championship club, he was sold to Trabzonspor and his career hasn’t really recovered. A return to England came with Leeds and the Ivory Coast now applies his trade for Cardiff City, who lie second in the Championship, so the Premier League may finally await the centre back.
Bamba’s 75 overall consists of 88 strength, 82 aggression and 78 interceptions. You will need weekly wages of £23,000 to secure him next season, with his ability to play in defensive midfield a massive plus point.
Junior Hoilett (OVR 74 – POT 74)
Age: 27
Positions: LW, LM, ST
Club: Cardiff City
Country: Canada
Work rate: Medium/Low
Best stats: 92 acceleration, 90 sprint speed, 85 agility
Wage: £27,000 a week
Junior Hoilett showed so many flashes of brilliance during his time in the Premier League with Blackburn and QPR, but the Canadian has had to settle for life in the Championship with Cardiff. Consistency has always been the problem for the left winger or striker, and maybe you can save the 27-year-old’s career on FIFA 18?
Hoilett has a 74 overall rating on the game due to his 92 acceleration, 90 sprint speed and 85 agility. To snap him up on a free, you will need wages of £27,000 a week.
Bobby Reid (OVR 73 – POT 78)
Age: 24
Positions: ST, CM, CAM
Club: Bristol City
Country: England
Work rate: High/High
Best stats: 86 stamina, 86 balance, 85 acceleration
Wage: £35,000 a week
If you're looking for a younger free signing who can improve, Bobby Reid is your man. The Bristol City striker and central or attacking midfielder has scored 13 goals this seasons, pushing The Robins towards automatic promotion and he even scored against Manchester City in the EFL Cup.
86 stamina, 86 balance and 85 acceleration give Reid a 73 overall which can improve to a 78 potential. The 24-year-old has wages of £35,000 a week.
Massimo Luongo (OVR 73 – POT 76)
Age: 24
Positions: CM, CDM
Club: Queens Park Rangers
Country: Australia
Work rate: Medium/High
Best stats: 85 stamina, 79 agility, 78 jumping
Wage: £22,000 a week
An Australian international who is now a regular for QPR, Massimo Luongo could go on to break into the Premier League. The 24-year-old central or defensive midfielder has made 99 appearances for the Loftus Road club since his switch from Swindon in 2015, offering solid protection for his back four.
Luongo’s 73 overall can improve to a 76 potential, so his 85 stamina, 79 agility and 78 jumping still have room for improvement. To sign him, you will need wages of £22,000 a week.
Greg Cunningham (OVR 73 – POT 74)
Age: 26
Positions: LB, LWB, CB
Club: Preston North End
Country: Republic of Ireland
Work rate: Medium/High
Best stats: 83 stamina, 80 aggression, 78 acceleration
Wage: £13,000 a week
A full back option is Greg Cunningham. The Irish left back is now 26, and if you are strapped for cash he could be a stable back-up option. Preston’s Cunningham made 44 appearances last season, and the question is now whether he could make the grade in the top flight.
Cunningham’s wages of £13,000 a week will get you his 73 overall which can still improve to 74. His stats of 83 stamina, 80 aggression and 78 acceleration should tempt you enough to make a move for him.
Pablo Hernandez (OVR 73 – POT 73)
Age: 32
Positions: CAM, LM, RM
Club: Leeds United
Country: Spain
Work rate: Medium/Medium
Best stats: 81 balance, 80 ball control, 79 agility
Wage: £30,000 a week
Pablo Hernandez was one of Swansea’s most reliable performers a few years ago, but his career looked to fade away when he left Wales for Qatari side Al-Arabi. A loan move back to Spain with Rayo Vallecano got him back on track, and he then joined Leeds to reunite with former Swansea manager Garry Monk.
With Monk now gone, an exit could be on the cards, and you can get the 32-year-old Hernandez for wages of £30,000 a week. That will get you the attacking, left or right midfielder’s 73 overall rating and stats of 81 balance, 80 ball control and 79 agility.
Other Championship player contracts expiring in 2018
Player | A | Pos | Club | Country | OVR/ POT | V | W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Michael Dawson | 33 | CB | Hull | England | 73/ 73 | £1m | £10k |
Allan McGregor | 35 | GK | Hull | Scotland | 73/ 73 | £750k | £5k |
Moses Odubajo | 23 | RB | Hull | England | 72/ 79 | £5m | £6k |
Aron Gunnarsson | 28 | CDM CM | Cardiff | Iceland | 72/ 72 | £1.8m | £17k |
Andreas Bjelland | 28 | CB LB | Brentford | Denmark | 72/ 72 | £1.8m | £25k |
David McGoldrick | 29 | ST CAM | Ipswich | Ireland | 72/ 72 | £2.3m | £15k |
Ashkan Dejagah | 30 | RM LM | Nott’m Forest | Iran | 72/ 72 | £2.2m | £18k |
Cole Skuse | 31 | CDM CM | Ipswich | England | 72/ 72 | £1.5m | £12k |
Tom Trybull | 24 | CDM CM | Norwich | Germany | 71/ 76 | £3.5m | £17k |
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing | 25 | RW RM LM | Cardiff | England | 71/ 74 | £3.5m | £19k |
A = Age
V = Value
W = Wage
What bargains have you landed on Career Mode? Let us know in the comments section below.
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