Defenders are one of the most crucial positions to focus on in Football Manager 2024. Their integral purpose is to keep the team’s clean sheet and gain points from the match. This makes a good defender essential for any team.
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These keepers can be acquired on the cheap and will still be difference-makers between the sticks.
Due to their new importance in attacking build-ups, many other attributes that were previously unimportant become integral to this position. However, the best defenders are sometimes priced quite high due to their versatility and rarity. Therefore, players on a budget should consider these defenders a priority to buy from the market.
Updated on March 6, 2024, by Evan Arnoldi: Newer updates to Football Manager 2024 that usually include data updates will also open a whole new opportunity for players of the game to scour for more good defenders while on a tight budget to reinforce their team. These new defenders are not limited to only one position, but they include other sides of the pitch as well, such as a Full Back on the left side or a Wing Back on the right side. Therefore, identifying these budget defenders can be crucial for players who wish to play the game optimally without being beaten by all teams in their league, while also trying to increase the footballing standing of the team they are managing.
10 Maqsim Medvedev
Extremely Cheap Right Defender With High Work Rate
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Price:
£200,000 - Currently plays for Qarabag
Sometimes, a player will need to navigate a heavy budgetary challenge while playing as one of the lower-ranked teams in the league due to various circumstances, such as a disastrous financial situation. Due to this, a player can sometimes be needed to enforce their team’s backline with a budget defender, and Maqsim Medvedev can be just the right person.
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With a price of only £200k, Maqsim is able to contribute to the team from the right side of the pitch with his high Work Rate, making him able to put a shift on that side of the pitch in every game he plays. Combined with a rather good Pace, Concentration, Tackling, Passing, and Anticipation, a manager can be assured of the solidity of the pitch’s right side with him in the team.
9 Sebastian Boselli
Cheap Defensive Option On The Right Side
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Price:
£7,200,000 - Currently plays for Defensor Sporting
Due to the tactical system revamp in Football Manager 2024, managers will need to be aware of the looming threats on either side of their pitch. Having an enforcer in the form of a right-back will create a sense of security, allowing the team to progress forward without worrying about goals.
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Sebastian Boselli’s profile as an enforcer on the sides of the pitch makes it easier to have a total lockdown on the right side of the pitch. For a mere £7.2M, Boselli will be able to lock down any wingers with his high Tackling, Acceleration, and Pace stats.
8 Stefano Sabelli
An Attacking Right Back For A Cheap Price
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Price:
£4,000,000 - Currently plays for Genoa
In higher-level leagues such as the Premier League, Serie A, and La Liga, players will often struggle to both defend the side of a pitch and attack it. A single winger occupying the space is a sign of trouble, and a supporting right-back is crucial to help overload the opposition’s defense.
Luckily, Stefano Sabelli will be able to cover that tactical side of the match with his low price tag of £4M. His above-average Crossing, Tackling, Acceleration, and Pace stats make him an all-rounder who is able to contribute to both phases of the match.
7 Luca Pellegrini
Left-Back Outcast Who Can Still Contribute
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Price:
£7,600,000 - Currently plays for Juventus
Outcasts are players who are transfer-listed due to various reasons, such as injury problems, disciplinary issues, or a lack of ability from the footballers themselves. Luckily, Luca Pellegrini only has one of those disadvantages, as he is rather prone to injuries that can be managed easily with rotations.
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Other than that, Pellegrini will be able to contribute to many stages of the game on the left side with his above-average attributes. High Aggression, Tackling, and Work Rate stats allow him to function as a left-side destroyer while still contributing to attacks with his Dribbling and Balance attributes.
6 Enzo Diaz
All-Rounder Left Back With A Tendency To Contribute In Attacks
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Price:
£11,000,000 - Currently plays for River
In modern times, players are required first and foremost to have a high Work Rate and Stamina to contribute to a well-defined pressing system to narrow the opposition’s field of play. One player with such qualities for a low price of £11M is Enzo Diaz, currently playing for River.
Diaz can contribute massively to a team’s winning effort with his high Aggression, Tackling, Work Rate, and Stamina. He has a rather high Crossing attribute as well, making him a powerful player that can be obtained on a budget.
5 Luca Ranieri
Well-Rounded Left Back With Room For Growth
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Price:
£9,000,000 - Currently plays for Fiorentina
Having a well-rounded player with the potential to grow to a new height can be expensive in Football Manager 2024, especially if the player is already well-known with a high reputation, such as Pedri or Kobbie Mainoo. However, Luca Ranieri is available for a mere £9M and has a well-rounded stats as a Left Defender, coupled with the potential to grow his attributes further.
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His rather good Tackling, Marking, Positioning, and Pace make him more than able to handle any winger that comes within his field of play. Moreover, he can be a unique threat during set pieces as a Left Defender thanks to his rather good Heading and Strength, making him competitive against any floating cross that comes in his path.
4 Pablo Mari
Budget Center Back On The Peak Years Of Careers
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Price:
£10,000,000 -
Currently plays for
Monza
Budget constraints sometimes limit a manager’s choices to either veterans with little time left in their career, or an unproven young footballer that can either fulfill his potential, or fizzle to become another mediocre player. Pablo Mari can fix this dilemma, as he is available at a rather modest price of £10M for his high attributes.
Mari contributes with his above-average Tackling, Marking, and Bravery stats, making him a solid soldier to guard the backlines of a team. Moreover, his high Jumping Reach and Strength allow him to win aerial challenges with ease, securing set pieces and crossing passes from the opposition.
3 Jake Cooper
Humongous Center Back That Can Win Any Aerial Challenges
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Price:
£5,000,000 - Currently plays for Millwall
Clubs who prioritize set pieces and overhead passes to score goals should not look further than Jake Cooper. This center-back plays for Millwall and is available for the cheap price of £5M. With his extremely tall height of 201 cm (6′ 7″), Cooper can win every aerial challenge and either clear a ball out of defense or strike a corner into the opponent’s net. This makes him extremely useful even for teams with a high transfer budget.
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To complement his height, Cooper also has high Heading and Strength attributes, which become crucial with his outstanding Jumping Reach attribute. Any manager with a player of this caliber can rest easy on every set piece, as Cooper will be at the end of it.
2 Abdülkerim Bardakcı
Strong Budget Center Back With Fearless Tendency
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Price:
£8,000,000 - Currently plays for Galatasaray
Although having a Defender who defends the center of the pitch with defined attributes is crucial, it is also important to find a player who is also able to be fearless during challenges and compete for any second ball that falls onto their field of play. This can be facilitated by mental attributes such as Aggression and Bravery.
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Abdülkerim Bardakcı is the perfect player to be the enforcer of the backline with his high Aggression and Bravery, making him fearless in his challenges and tackles against the opposition. Furthermore, his rather high Heaeding, Strength, and Jumping Reach enable him to be quite competitive for any floating crosses that come into the trajectory.
1 Tormena
Underrated Modern Center Back
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Price:
£4,000,000 - Currently plays for Krasnodar
A center-back who can both start an attack with a pinpoint pass and defend from the opposition’s dangerous forwards is quite rare, especially on a budget. However, Tormena is one of them, with a low price of £4M to secure his signature. With his high attributes, Tormena is a rare gem for players to acquire early in the game.
His high attributes of Jumping Reach, Strength, and Aggression make him imposing in every physical challenge in the game, both on the ground and aerially. Moreover, he has a rare above-average Passing and Vision attribute, complementing his skills as a modern center-back.
Football Manager 2024
- Released
- November 6, 2024
- Genre(s)
- Management , Simulation , Sports