In Football Manager, there are always players who make a mockery of their sometimes-modest stats and can become vital to teams, whatever level you play at.
One of those unrated players is New Zealand international Elijah Just, who is set for a move from SPL side Motherwell to English Championship outfit Swansea City, with the fee mooted to be around £5m, which would be a club record for the Swans.
Has impressed in real life of late
The attacking midfielder has been in impressive form of late. In the 2025/26 season, Just scored seven times in the SPL and also produced the same number of assists in 30 appearances.
His performances and attacking output were the main factor in Just winning the PFA Player of the Year for the Scottish Premiership.
The 26-year-old’s stellar domestic form continued into World Cup 2026, as he scored three times in the tournament. In fact, he made history in the 2-2 draw against Iran, as he became the first player from New Zealand to score a brace at a World Cup.
He also scored in New Zealand’s 5-1 humbling at the hands of Belgium. The result saw Belgium progress to the knockout stages, and confirmed the Kiwis’ elimination from the competition.
Despite New Zealand’s exit from the competition at the group stage, it seems that Just’s individual displays did enough to persuade Swansea to splash out a club-record fee to acquire his services this summer.
What is he like in FM26?
Just is the sort of player who can surprise you with his attacking output, although not if you looked at his stats from season 2025/26. He had also produced solid, if not spectacular, numbers in the Austrian second tier with SKN St. Pölten in the 2024/25 season.
His stats are not spectacular on FM26, either. However, he does have 15+ stats in first touch, off the ball, positioning, work rate, anticipation, and natural fitness.
Those are all good attributes for most players to have, but I doubt many people would look at them and say they are the stats of a Premier League player.
At 25, he is also unlikely to develop his technical stats much further, as players over 23 tend not to improve their technical stats drastically in FM26.
However, mental stats tend to improve when they play at a higher level, which applies to Just, who can improve not just in visible stats but also in hidden stats such as consistency and important matches.
It would be unfair to the player to decry his stats, though, as he can still operate at the top end of the English game and for most teams in the SPL, with the exception of Celtic and Rangers, maybe.
However, can easily do a job at the lower end of the English Premier League. If you’re a team in the middle or towards the bottom end of the division, he could certainly provide energy and something different as a squad player.
The fact that he is so versatile, being able to play across all three attacking midfield positions, is also a bonus. He is usually most effective on the left flank, though, with a role of inverted winger so that he can cut in from out wide.
Another appeal of Just would be that he can be signed from Motherwell for less than £1.5m. That is a bargain, even if he is only being signed as a backup or squad player.
He will obviously be tougher to sign in FM27 if he joins Swansea. His value will not only go up, but the Welsh club may well also be reluctant to sell him, as he has only just joined.
However, the attacking midfielder is likely to see his stats boosted after a strong season and making an impression at the World Cup.
Interesting to see how he performs in the future
Many will claim that the pending move to Swansea City will be a step up for Just in his career. It would be difficult to argue that the Championship isn’t a better-quality league in a straight comparison than the Scottish top-flight.
He has already proven himself in the SPL, and even at the World Cup with his national team. Now he must prove himself in the English second tier, which, judging by his recent performances, he will have no problem doing.
Have you ever signed Elijah Just on FM26? If you have, how did he perform? Let us know on our socials
