FM 15 Wonderkids: Best English Players To Sign


For the sake of Football Manager fairness, I will not consider players who are too expensive to sign e.g. Luke Shaw, or players that are good now, but are due to decline pretty quickly on FM e.g. Wayne Rooney. What I have done is put together an affordable team, along with a substitute's bench, of the best English players that can be signed on FM15. The formation of choice - 4-4-2.  

Goalkeeper

Jack Butland

Cost - £5m

Is he worth it?

Butland's ability at the start of FM15 makes him one of the better keepers in the league before a ball is even kicked, with the potential to turn into one of the best keepers in the game. He also comes at a cost-friendly price, which is always nice.    

Right Back

Kieran Trippier

Cost - £9m

Is he worth it? 

Trippier is a high quality right-back that is built for a bigger club than Burnley on FM15. If you don't sign him, Burnley usually challenge for Europa League football, and Trippier is a huge reason they're ever able to do that. Sign him up ASAP.

Centre Back

Steven Caulker

Cost - £16m

Is he worth it? 

Caulker has a slightly steep fee, but repays that almost immediately with average performances rated above 7.3. Capable of being your best defender, or slotting in next to someone slightly better, either way, he can be a cornerstone of many successful teams.

Centre Back

John Stones

Cost - £14m

Is he worth it?  Stones is an absolute steal on FM15. He comes at a moderate fee, with moderate wages, but brings with him 5-star potential. Definitely your centre back for the next 10 years if you sign him.  

Left Back

Aaron Cresswell

Cost - £9m

Is he worth it? 

You may have to wait a season for Cresswell, but the wait's certainly worth it. After a season at West Ham, he's more than ready to fit into any standard team, and chips in with a fair few assists to.    

Right Midfielder

Patrick Roberts

Cost - £6m

Is he worth it? 

Roberts will take a few seasons to develop, but when he does, you'll have a goalscoring right winger who is also a strong creator of goals. A buy-and-stash investment, but unbelievably good value.    

Centre Midfielder

James Ward-Prowse

Cost - £18m

Is he worth it?  JWP has amazing set pieces, meaning you can expect at least 10 assists a season from corners/free-kicks. JWP also has slick passing, great technique, and just like Beckham (the player he's often associated with) he can strike a mean free-kick to.    

Centre Midfielder

Will Hughes

Cost - £7m

Is he worth it? 

Hughes is capable of stepping into any Premier League side as a starter or sub. He also has a wealth of experience, with two full seasons of Championship football under his belt before FM15 kicks off, meaning he's first-team ready from the word go.    

Left Midfielder

Brandon Barker

Cost - £2.5m

Is he worth it? 

Barker will take the longest of any prospect to develop, as he's just 17 when the game starts, but has 5* star potential. The trick with Barker is to ensure that when you send him off on loan, you carefully select a competitive club (e.g. don't loan him to the Scottish league when Championship clubs are after him). If you manage him well, that £2.5m you spent to get him will look like chumps change.    

Striker

Harry Kane

Cost - £24m

Is he worth it? 

Kane is the most expensive on this list, but is also arguably England's best striker on FM15. If that's not reason enough to sign him, I'm not sure what is.   

Striker

Cauley Woodrow

Cost - £8m

Is he worth it? 

Assuming Fulham don't get promoted in the first season, it's very likely that you'll sign Woodrow for free in 2016 when his contract expires. Even if decide to play your hand earlier, and spend the £8m, you won't be disappointed with Woodrow and his 4-and-a-half star potential.    

Substitutes

Alex McCarthy (QPR)

If you need a cheaper option that Butland, McCarthy ticks all the boxes.

Joe Gomez (Charlton)

Gomez can be signed for as little as £3m, and whilst he takes longer to develop, a defence pairing of him and Stones has the potential to be insane when both players have fully developed.

Sam Byram (Leeds)

Byram is a more than capable replacement for Trippier. You may have to spend a pretty penny, but in the end, he proves he was worth every million spent on him.

Dele Alli (Tottenham)

Alli's best signed on loan if you're managing a lower-ranked club. It's harder to sign him permanently if Spurs involve him like they are in real-life, but if they don't, sign him up

Jonjo Shelvey (Swansea)

Shelvey is a brilliant player to sign, as he's skilful, relatively cheap (around £12m), and still has a bit of room to grow.

Josh Murphy (Norwich)

Norwich don't usually like parting ways with Murphy, but if you can prize them into it, watch Murphy become that player in your team who almost always has an average rating higher than 7.4

James Wilson (Man Utd)

Wilson turns out to be one of the best strikers in FM, English or not, but usually demands a huge transfer fee. If you can afford him, then why not sign him. If you can't, the cheaper alternatives listed above will more than suffice.  

More articles by Ajay Rose:

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The Best FM15 Signings Under £5m

The 11 Best ‘Big Budget’ Signings On FM15

The 11 Best Signings On FM15

Best English Players To Sign On FM15

Best Free Agent Signings On FM15  

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