Today, we’re back to talk about Football Manager 2018, which, as we previously mentioned, is one of our favourite editions of the FM franchise.
We talked about FM18 wonderkids in one of our most recent articles. However, this article will examine the players who, for us, were the best free agents of this edition of the game. So, without further ado, here are the best free agents in FM18:
Guiseppe Rossi
The forward was born to Italian immigrant parents in New Jersey, USA. While a youngster, he caught the eye of scouts from Premier League giants Manchester United.
In 2004, Rossi joined the Red Devils youth set-up. Unfortunately for the Italian international, his career was blighted by injuries.
His best run of form came while playing in Spain with Villarreal from 2007 until 2013, when he scored an impressive 82 goals in 192 appearances in all competitions for the Yellow Submarine.
In the summer of 2017, Rossi found himself a free agent after leaving Spanish club Celta Vigo. However, the forward joined Genoa in December 2017, so in terms of FM18, he will only be a free agent on early databases and not later updates.
Despite his injury problems and being 30 in FM18, Rossi is one of the best players, ability-wise, you can sign on a free transfer in the game.
Arguably, he still can play at the very highest level in the game. He has high stats for finishing, dribbling, first touch and technique. If you signed him, though, the elephant in the room would also be that you were waiting for him to pick up an injury.
His injury-prone level was between 15 and 20 on the game, which reflected his real-life struggles. However, if you were willing to take the risk of signing him, then it was usually worth it, as in the games he played, he would produce a significant attacking contribution.
Bacary Sagna
The experienced defender enjoyed a long and successful career representing the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City in the Premier League for a decade. The versatile star won the FA Cup with the Gunners in the 2013/14 season.
However, by the summer of 2017, Sagna was deemed surplus to requirements at City and left the club on the expiration of his contract in June 2017.
In terms of FM18, he is available as a free agent in the game’s original database. However, on update’s he is contracted to Italian club Benevento, who he joined in February 2018.
At 34, he was a short solution, but he was a player who came with decent stats and could do a good job for a few more seasons. His wages are pretty high, but he is worth every penny.
Welliton
The veteran Brazilian forward was a free agent on FM18 after leaving Turkish club Kayserispor in the summer of 2017. In real life, he joined the UAE Pro outfit Sharjah FC in September 2017, so he was only available as a free agent in the game’s original database.
His spell in Russia with Spartak Moscow, from 2007 to 2014, demonstrated that he possessed the ability to score goals at a decent level, as he netted 57 goals in 104 league appearances.
His ability to score goals is reflected in his statistics, which include 14 finishing and 13 composure. At 30, Welliton was unlikely to be prolific at the elite level. Still, he performed well at lesser levels and proved to be a good addition to a squad fighting relegation from the Premier League, for example.
Eldin Hadzic
The attacking midfielder joined the youth ranks of the Spanish club Hercules in 2005. Hadzic had emigrated from Bosnia to Alicante at the age of just one and held dual citizenship, which was always easier for FM players regarding work permits.
Despite early promise, Hadzic never quite fulfilled his full potential. The most productive spell of his career came while playing for Hercules’ first team in the 2013/14 season, when he scored 11 goals in 46 league appearances. He then enjoyed a somewhat journeyman career, including a brief stint at Real Zaragoza.
In FM18, Hadzic is 25 and a free agent. His stats suggested that he may not have been a player capable of playing at the elite level. However, his stats were not terrible, and he could certainly do a job for a team struggling at the bottom of the Premier League, or even at the top end of the Championship, if you could have persuaded him to join.
His versatility was also a strength, as he played on the left wing and in the number ten role. Signing him won’t cost the world in wages, so signing Hadzic was definitely a risk worth taking, especially if you were working with a small budget.
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