The aim of any FM player or save is to ultimately build a highly successful team and dominate the game for years. Signing top-quality players obviously aids this journey to success.
However, for me, there are players that I just never seem to be able to snap up on FM24. Here are some of those players:
Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
The big Norwegian superstar, Erling Haaland, is arguably the best number nine in world football, with few competitors to his throne. When FM24 starts, he is still just 22.
In most of my games, he continues to be prolific well into his thirties. Unfortunately, on most of my saves, he stays at City for his whole career before being released or retiring at 35 or 36. It’s a disappointment I’m sure many of you can relate to.
By then, I have a team full of superstars, so signing him would make little sense. The fact that City put a ‘not for sale’ tag on him is likely the main reason for not signing the forward, as well as financial constraints.
In previous editions, he was far easier to sign when he was at Dortmund or even Salzburg when he wasn’t such a high-profile player.
Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Like Haaland, Mbappe is a superstar and among the best players in the world. The France international should be an easy player to sign, as his contract expires in the summer of 2024.
However, as he is an elite player, he only ever seems to join Real Madrid or Manchester City. As I never manage elite teams at the beginning of the game, preferring to build teams up, the forward is unwilling to join my club, especially as his wages are nearly £1m per week.
Similar to Haaland, I would love to have a player of Mbappe in my team. However, this never seems to happen.
Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
The young attacking midfielder is one of the players I enjoy watching most in real life. However, he isn’t a player that I ever get to use in FM24. Once again it is mainly mostly down to cost.
However, it is also down to the player only wanting to join elite clubs, and usually, if I start as a mid-ranking team in a top league, he is unwilling to join us.
Like Haaland, Musiala seems to stay with his original employers for the whole of his career before being discarded in his 30s. Then he becomes a free agent, but that is no use to me, as I have a highly successful team full of superstars I have developed by then.
Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
The Brazilian international is developing into one of the top players in the world and is now a massive influence in the Spanish capital. His stats at the beginning of FM24 are amongst the best in the game.
Vinicius Junior is valued at around £140-170m, so only the likes of Manchester City and PSG can afford to sign him from Los Blancos. More often than not he will stay with his current employers.
The other thing I see with the winger is that he moves to Manchester City and then spends the rest of his career with the Citizens.
In previous editions of the game, I have signed the Brazilian winger and he has been hit and miss. However, that was FM21 or FM22 when he was still very young.
Pedri (Barcelona)
As somebody who watches Barcelona regularly, one of my favourite Blaugrana players is midfield maestro Pedri. The youngster is a player I became accustomed to signing in some previous FM games.
However, I can’t remember signing the versatile star in any of my numerous FM24 saves. In terms of cost, he may well be out of my price range in the first couple of seasons.
When I can afford him after 5 or 6 seasons, I tend to have other options, so I forget about the Canary Islander. It is a shame because Pedri’s stats are great, and he is highly versatile. Seemingly, his only flaw is that he is injury-prone, which I have seen reflected in the game.
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
At the start of the game, the England forward has only just secured a big-money move to German giants Bayern Munich from Tottenham. He remains consistent in front of goal until he reaches his mid-thirties.
Bayern then allow him to leave the club. I have signed him in one of my personal saves. However, when I signed him, the forward was 36 and was not good enough to get in my team, so he never made an appearance.
Signing big players depends on how you approach the game
I have to admit the fact that I haven’t signed all these elite players is because of my approach to the game. I don’t like doing saves as the world’s richest teams, as it bores me to be honest.
Some people may enjoy that aspect of the game, and that’s fine. It’s their game, and everybody should be able to play it as they wish.
If you manage elite teams, not only do you start the game with a squad full of quality players, but you will also have a significant transfer budget so you can sign more elite players.
However, I enjoy the challenge of turning non-elite clubs into teams that dominate the top leagues. If you take that approach, you have to be more shrewd with recruitment, and use more of a moneyball approach to the game.
I can live without signing the current superstars of the world, as I tend to sign young players, who I turn into world superstars, usually without spending a massive transfer and wages.
I don’t think I have ever done a save as Manchester City or PSG on FM. So, why start on FM24, just so I can use certain players. I am quite happy to grind for a couple of seasons to get to the top, picking up bargain players, and that’s how I like it.
Who are the players you want to sign but never seem able to bring to your club?
