Summary
A good center-back does a lot of things for their team. Center backs prevent opposition goals and maintain the structure and shape of your formations. They can even serve as an extra creative outlet, distributing precise passes and creating opportunities for the forward players to score goals.
However, inFootball Manager 2024, a center back offering all these roles and attributes can cost up to £50 million to sign. With that said, there are many center backs who can deliver all of these great traits at a very high level that you won’t have to break the bank to sign.
Player Value
€935,020
Chiellini is a veteran Italian footballer who plays for the Los Angeles Football Club in the MLS. At the start of Football Manager 24, Chiellini is 38 and well past his prime, but this hasn’t stopped him from being one of the best center backs in the game.
His attributes are littered with elite stats and a few maxed-out stats. Chiellini is easily one of the best center backs in the game, but he won’t be for longer than a season or two, and you will immediately notice his stats start to plummet. However, with how cheap his market value is, it is worth having an experienced elite defender in the squad, albeit for just one season.
€5,885,500
At 40, Portugal’s Pepe seemingly has no business playing football anymore, yet he not only plays but performs at the most elite levels. That said, he is still well past his prime and probably only good for one more season in the game.
Still, Pepe’s stats and quality are impossible to deny, and the fact that his market value is so affordable makes him a steal for any club with massive aspirations in a very dire financial situation. Pepe could at least give you one more season to find a center-back of the right quality who fits your tactical setup.
€6,878,350
Nacho is a 33-year-old Spanish center back who plays in the Spanish top-flight league for Real Madrid. He is an impressively well-rounded player with many great stats and would be an instant improvement to any team in the game, either as an elite backup player or starter.
Nacho is incredibly versatile and can play any position along the back line. This makes him the perfect player, no matter your preferred formation or tactical setup. Finally, Nacho has amazing passing stats that rival some ofthe best midfielders.
€475,860
Felipe Sanchez is an Argentine center-back who plays for Gimnasia La Plata in the Argentine Primera División. Due to his size, strength, and agility, he mainly operates as a no-nonsense center back with the cover instruction. He can also fulfill the stopper instructions for this role.
Sanchez has solid, well-rounded stats and would be a great addition to yourRoad to Glory team. However, his best quality is that, at 19, Sanchez is very much a blank canvas, and with enough time and proper development plans, you could mold him into the perfect center back for your system.
€2,982,040
Valentin Gomez is an exciting Argentine center-back who plays for Velez Sarsfield in the Argentine Liga Profesional. At the start of Football Manager 2024, he is 20 years old and already has an impressive lineup of great stats across the board.
Valentin is not particularly tall or strong for a center-back but makes up for it in other ways. His mental attributes are his most impressive stats. As a center-back who is most comfortable playing the wide center-back (defend) role, he offers a unique tactical approach for specific matches.
€3,701,910
Circati is a 19-year-old center-back who plays for Italian side Parma in the second tier of the Italian league system. The exciting Australian defender has a lot going for him, most impressively, his well-rounded stats. Almost every mental and physical stat on Circati’s profile is well on its way to being maxed out.
However, the most impressive thing about this player is his imposing size. Circati is massive and has remarkable strength, jumping, and heading stats. He would be a problem for even the best target strikers and would also give your team an extra goal-scoring threat from set pieces.
€11,870,000
Nordi Mukiele is an incredible defensive footballer who plays for the massive PSG in the French League. At the start of Football Manager 2024, Mukiele is only 25, meaning that he could be your main center-back throughout your playthrough with the proper training and tactics.
Aside from being an incredible defender who is both affordable and young, Mukiele is also incredibly versatile. He can operate in a variety of positions, giving you options and squad depth.
