I want to break free.

By Cole Luke

Published: Tuesday, 07 November 2023 at 15:54 PM

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At the start of your burgeoning Football Manager 2024 career, your team might be a bit strapped for cash and so to get the most bang for your buck, we’ve compiled a list of the best FM24 free agents to get contract expiry players to sign now.

All the players in the world however would mean nothing without the best FM24 tactics so make sure you’re clued up before committing to the pitch.

Listen to our One More Life gaming podcast – the next episode is about FM!

It’s not just contract-expired players who can be had for a bargain either, we’ve got you covered for the best cheap players in FM24 too.

Once you’re in the green and can splash the cash, you might want to check out the best FM24 players or best wonderkids to take your club to the next level.

We can also help you get Football Manager looking the way you want it with the best FM24 skins and face, logo and kit packs.

FM24 free agents: Best contract expiry players to sign now

Below we have our pick of the best free FM24 agents for all positions including strikers, goalkeepers, wingers, midfielders and defenders, meaning you or your budget shouldn’t be left wide open.

Players reaching the end of their contract with no team looking to bring them on will fetch a far lower price than top players who command crazy money with astronomical minimum release fees.

Though some on our list are older players who will maybe only hang around for a season or two, these players bring immense training potential and knowledge for the young ‘uns of the team and are well worth the investment in the long term.

That doesn’t mean these players are bad by any means and you can get some seriously competent footballers on the (relatively) cheap.

Best FM24 free strikers

It’s all about putting balls at the back of the net at the end of the day and these strikers are sure to improve the odds here.

• Fabio Quagliarella – Italy, 40. Though getting on, Quagliarella is a sensational player, famous for scoring a screamer against Slovakia in the 2010 World Cup. He won’t play for much longer but will bring a great deal of experience to your team.

• Connor Wickham – England, 30. Recently released by Cardiff City, Wickham is a competent striker and has plenty of gas in the tank left for many seasons to come.

Best FM24 free goalkeepers

It’s also about stopping balls from getting into the back of the net and these contract-expired goalkeepers will serve you well.

• David de Gea – Spain, 32. If you have the coffers, de Gea could prove vital to your team throughout the season after just finishing with Man Utd.

• Gonzalo Collao – Chile, 25. Having just finished with Palestino, Callao is free to a good home and at 25, he should be saving goals for years to come.

Best FM24 free midfielders

All runs and no plays make strikers a dull player. These midfielders will make sure the ball connects with who it needs to go, while also making plays of their own.

• Vasco Walz – Germany, 19. Whilst currently unsigned, Walz is reported to have been offered contracts by premier teams across Europe including Inter Milan and Juventus. Snap him up before they do!

• Xeka – Portugal, 28. Xeka is a great player for reliably making assists and being able to score goals of his own. His fitness is currently “severely lacking” but that’s nothing a bit of training can fix.

Best FM24 free wingers

Keeping a watchful eye on the flanks are the wingers who will improve your offence and defence, letting the ball slip past or stopping it ahead of the defenders.

• Nemanja Jović – Serbia, 20. This left winger has had a promising start to his career playing for Partizan Belgrade and with some good training, especially from a player like Quagliarella, Jović could prove to be a great investment.
• Tanguy Coulibaly – France, 22. Coulibaly is a well-rounded winger and is best suited for attack but will also be great for assists. Trained in the PSG Youth Academy, Coulibaly most recently played for VfB Stuttgart.

Best FM24 free defenders

Though much of the spotlight is on your players making plays, when the going gets tough it’s these players who will leave you counting your lucky stars for taking our sage advice.

• Jérôme Boateng – Germany, 34. Boateng is a very experienced centre-back defender who can bring all he’s learned to the team. He won an impressive 83% of his duels in the 2014 World Cup Final against Argentina and is said to arguably be the true man of the match.
• Sulayman Marreh – Gambia, 27. Coming off a three-year contract with KAA Gent, Marreh is an affordable centre-back who is also a competent midfield defender. With some good training, Marreh could prove vital throughout the seasons.