Football Manager 2022 free agents, cheap players and best bargains
The best free and cheap players you can get in the opening transfer window.
Free agents and transfer bargains in Football Manager 2022 continue to be really important with the effects of the global pandemic still hampering football club finances.
Not only is it always crucial to keep your board happy by using the least amount of money as possible when you're in charge of superpowers like Barcelona and Manchester City, but it's a necessity when you take over beloved underdogs like Burnley and Huddersfield Town.
This page provides a list of the best Football Manager 2022 cheap players and free agents - and the reasoning behind our choices.
If you're looking for more help, we have pages on installing kits and mods in Football Manager 2022 and wonderkids.
FM22 free agents and bargain transfers: The best free agents, cheap players and best bargains in Football Manager 2022
You're not going to get many (if any) widely-known names here, but some of these scorching deals can help you not just with additional squad options, but potential key, first-team players that'll help you punch above your weight.
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FM22 free agents and bargain transfers list
| Name | Age | Position | Club | Transfer fee (£M) | Current wage (£k p/w) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alvaro Montero | 26 | GK | Deportes Tolima | 0.325 | 6.25 |
| Nik Tzanev | 24 | GK | AFC Wimbledon | 0.475 | 1.5 |
| Jack Butland | 28 | GK | Crystal Palace | 0.95 | 35 |
| Michael Bradley | 33 | DM, M (C) | Toronto FC | 0.425 | 21 |
| Sidnei | 31 | D (C) | N/A | Free | N/A |
| Mateo Musacchio | 30 | D (C) | N/A | Free | N/A |
| Jozo Simunovic | 27 | D (C) | N/A | Free | N/A |
| Winston Reid | 33 | D (C) | N/A | Free | N/A |
| Harvey Araujo | 17 | D (L) | Fulham | Free | 0.4 |
| Gaetano Berardi | 32 | D (RL) | N/A | Free | N/A |
| Fernando | 29 | DM, M (C) | N/A | Free | N/A |
| Clement Grenier | 30 | DM, M (C) | N/A | Free | N/A |
| Gallito Vazquez | 33 | DM, M (C) | Toluca | 0.325 | 12.5 |
| Jonathan dos Santos | 31 | DM, M (C) | LA Galaxy | 0.95 | 27.5 |
| Jack Wilshere | 29 | DM, M (C) | N/A | Free | N/A |
| Renato Augusto | 33 | DM, M (C), AM (RC) | COR | Free | 2.6 |
| Steven Nzoni | 32 | DM, M (C) | Al-Rayyan | Free | 1.1 |
| Ganso | 31 | M/AM (C) | FLU | 0.85 | 11 |
| Connor Mahoney | 24 | M (RL), AM (RLC) | Millwall | 0.425 | 10 |
| Gaston Ramirez | 30 | AM (RLC) | N/A | Free | N/A |
| Joao Rojas | 32 | AM (R) | SPO | 0.9 | 4.8 |
| Iago Falque | 31 | AM (RC), ST (C) | N/A | Free | N/A |
| Giovani dos Santos | 32 | AM (RC), ST (C) | N/A | Free | N/A |
| Sergio Diaz | 23 | AM (C), ST (C) | N/A | Free | N/A |
| Daniel Sturridge | 31 | ST (C) | Perth Glory | 0.65 | 30.5 |
How we chose our best free agents, cheap players and best bargains in FM22
Using the in-game scouting system, we've made a list of players who were at least rated 14 (out of 20) in two or more ability fields, and over 10 in two others. Many players below exceed these, and this is just our list of our favourites from FM22 who have a great balance of skills. The attribute ratings cover mental, physical and technical skills, while goalkeeping is a separate category, covering things such as aerial reach and communication.
We set the maximum age in our search to 33, to ensure any bargain you snap up can give at least a couple of years to your team.
There are a few highlights to point out. Colombian international Alvaro Montero, who plays for Deportes Tolima, is an interesting goalie choice with strong physical skills (his maximum jumping reach is 18) and a relatively young age of 26. At a maximum transfer value under half a million pounds, he's worthy of becoming a great first or second choice keeper in most teams in the game.
Michael Bradley of Toronto FC scores incredibly high in almost all skills listed under the mental category (such as bravery and leadership), which makes us think he'd be a valuable part of defense. And Renato Augusto was recently transferred to COR for free, but his skill level competes with much more reputable players, even though his starting wage level in the game makes him a potential bargain.