FM 17: Top Ten Bargain Strikers


If you’re a club strapped for cash, finding a bargain in the massive Football Manager database can be a real coup for your club, so we’ve done the hard work for you and picked out the top ten bargain strikers! There are multiple different ways of defining a bargain, so we’ve kept the price of these players under £10m to keep them affordable for cash-strapped clubs. It’s important, however, that you take their attributes into account, so we’ve ensured that these players have a rating of at least 10 for the base striking attributes. As always, we’ve included current ability ratings (CA) and potential ability ratings (PA).

Table of Contents

Maximiliano Romero, 17, Striker, Velez (£1.5m, £2.4k p/w, CA 2.5 – PA 5)

Make sure you load the Argentinian league on your FM17 save so that you can find Maximiliano Romero on the database. The 17-year-old wonderkid is a must-buy for any club given his five-star potential. He’s valued at £1.5m so will be available for under £10m, though you’d be investing in potential rather than immediate ability. However, at 17, he already has finishing of 13, off the ball movement of 14 and composure of 12. He’s best served playing as a poacher. He has big clubs scouting him as the game begins so move quickly!

Julian Green, 21, Striker, Bayern Munich (£2.5m, £8.25k, CA 2.5 – PA 3)

At 21-years-old, purchasing Julian Green would be another investment for the future and he should be easily attainable at approximately £2.5m. He’s deemed surplus to requirements at Bayern and their loss can be your gain! As a striker, he’s ready to go straight into the action: finishing 14, off the ball movement 15, anticipation 15 and composure 12. He can also dribble 12 and has good technique 13, so will make an adequate trequartista. He’s also versatile enough to play as a right-sided winger or number ten.

John Guidetti, 24, Striker, Celta Vigo (£8m, £28k p/w, CA 3 – PA 4.5)

The 24-year-old Swedish international is valued at £8m, but if you’re a club of bigger stature of Celta Vigo then you should have no trouble signing the striker for a little over his value, roughly £8.5-9m. He’d be worth the outlay as he has the potential to develop into a four-and-a-half star striker. As of now, however, he’s a great bargain signing. He’s a complete forward because of his finishing (15), long shots (15), technique (17) and dribbling (14). Moreover, mentally Guidetti is composed (12), determined (17) and hard working (13). He’s yet to really get his career started after a disappointing loan spell at Celtic, but your club could be the ideal destination for him!

Angelo Henríquez, 22, Striker, Dinamo Zagreb (£2.6m, £7.5k p/w, CA 2.5 – PA 2.5)

Whilst Angelo Henríquez doesn’t necessarily have the potential to become world-class, he’d still be a great bargain signing for a mid table or bottom Premier League side because of his goal scoring record in Croatia; he scored 20 in 25 in his first season at Zagreb. He’s not particularly versatile in terms of his technical attributes, so use the 22-year-old as a poacher. This is because he can finish (16), he’s composed (12), he moves well off the ball (15), he’s determined (16) and works hard (17). Henríquez will certainly be able to chip in with ten or so league goals for a struggling side.

Luan, 23, Striker, Gremio (£6m, £16.5k p/w, CA 2.5 – PA 4.5)

Capable of playing anywhere along the attacking front three or up front, Luan is a must-buy for most top-flight clubs as he’s versatile and has the potential to improve in the future. He has the flair (16) and dribbling (15) of a winger, the finishing (13) and composure (13) of a striker and the passing (14) and vision (15) of an advanced playmaker. This means that the 23-year-old Brazilian could slot in up front or be retrained to fulfil a variety of roles. Considering that he’s not earning massive amounts at Gremio, paying slightly over his £6m market value will prove to be value for money in the future.

Diafra Sakho, 26, Striker, West Ham (£15.5m, £20k p/w, CA 3 – PA 3)

The game values Diafra Sakho at £15.5m, but West Ham have decided to transfer list the 26-year-old Senegalese international for a cut-price £8.5m. He has proven Premier League experience and would be worth the money, despite not having any potential to develop in the future. Sakho would be ideal for a mid-table side and could easily bag you around ten or so goals a season. This is because he can finish well (17) and he’s good in the air (16). Moreover, he’s extremely hard working (18) and determined (16), plus he anticipates the game well (14) and has good movement (15). His wages are quite low, too, meaning he’d be affordable for most top-flight sides.

Sam Vokes, 26, Striker, Burnley (£4.5m, £17k p/w, CA 2.5 – PA 2.5)

Whilst you may not be buying potential with Sam Vokes, you will, however, get a proven stiker in English football that will be able to score ten or more league goals per season in the top flight. He’d be an ideal signing for a mid-table or lower Premier League side because of his low value and small wages. The 26-year-old Welshman is a great target man because of his heading (16) and jumping reach (15). His vision (13) and passing (13) means he’s able to hold the ball up well and bring other teammates into play. He can also finish (14), as you’d expect, plus he’s hard working (15), determined (13) and brave (14). For around £5m, Vokes would be an excellent signing whether as a starter or backup.

Carlos Castro, 21, Striker, Sporting Gijon (£1.2m, £7.75k p/w, CA 2.5 – PA 4.5) 

At 21-years-old, Carlos Castro is ready to go straight into a first team, plus he has potential to improve in the future and you could even sell him on for profit down the line. This is possible because of his low value, roughly £3.5m. As strikers go, the Spaniard is best as a trequartista because of his finishing (16), passing (13), dribbling (13) and vision (13). Castro is also agile (14) and composed (13). However, he would need to improve on his determination (8) and work rate (11). Nonetheless, he’d be a good bargain striker for mid table or lower top-flight sides.

Kuki, 18, Striker, Malaga (£350k, £1.9k p/w, CA 1.5 – PA 4)

Kuki, currently of Malaga’s ‘B’ team, is available for less than £1m and is the ultimate FM17 bargain because of his potential to develop into a leading top-flight striker. At 18-years-old, the Spaniard already has reasonable attributes for a top second-tier or bottom top-tier team. His finishing is 12, dribbling 13, off the ball movement 14 and flair 12. He has some work to do on his work rate, which will undoubtedly improve over time. For the amount you’d have to pay and the potential for future fees, Kuki represents a great bargain signing.

Sebastián Driussi, 20, Striker, River Plate (£1.5m, £4.5k p/w, CA 1.5 – PA 3.5)

The talented Argentinian can develop into a top-class striker with the right guidance, given his tender age of just 20. The River striker possesses some strong statistics across the board at his early age, including 15 dribbling, 15 technique and 13 finishing. His mental attributes can do with some work, but his standout attribute in this sense is his determination (14). For roughly £2m, you can’t go wrong with Sebastián Driussi.

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