EA Sports FC 24: Best cheap players to sign in Ultimate Team mode

Facing a team on FC 24 that contains Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho when your squad is full of low-ranked defenders is not my idea of fun.

Ultimate Team (FUT) is the most popular game mode in FC 24 and in previous iterations of the game formerly associated with FIFA. But building a good squad without spending real money can be a long and off-putting task.

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When you are starting out, the sweet spot is finding cheap but talented players to help you field a competitive squad as early as possible. So, here are The Athletic’s picks of the best cheap players to sign on FUT in EA Sports FC 24.

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The method

Your squad performs better in Ultimate Team if they have better chemistry. In FC 24, every team has a chemistry score ranked out of 33. If you have 11 players who all play in the same league or have the same nationality, you will achieve a better chemistry score.

With that in mind, we have compiled five different squads for you to pick from that will achieve the highest possible chemistry score. The five different squads will each contain 11 players who all play in the following leagues: Premier League, WSL, Serie A, La Liga and Bundesliga.

Feel free to mix things up, but that variety will come at the expense of team chemistry. The more players from other leagues you have in your team, the lower your chemistry score.

All picks listed below should have a maximum price of around 2,500 FC 24 coins. The prices we have used are listed according to how many FC 24 coins you’ll need to sign them and are derived from FUTBin, a website dedicated to the ins and outs of Ultimate Team. Prices fluctuate, but the prices listed below are accurate at the time of writing.

Feel free to drop your recommendations about the best cheap players to sign on Ultimate Team in the comments below.

Goalkeepers

When it comes to Premier League options, Jordan Pickford (82 overall, 1,200 coins) is a relatively cheap option, but is more expensive than Guglielmo Vicario.

Ann-Katrin Berger only costs 2,000 coins. For comparison, Mary Earps is rated 86 overall and costs 8,300 coins. I must admit, I bought Earps for around 5,000 coins, and ended up selling her at a loss. Now her price point is trending upwards, so that was clearly a silly move. If you have more coins available, consider signing the 2023 Golden Glove winner instead.

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In real life, Ivan Provedel scored a last-minute equaliser for Lazio in the Champions League and represents great value in FC 24, while Koen Casteels and Alex Remiro are the best options in this price range in the Bundesliga and La Liga.

Right-backs

The most popular right-back in Ultimate Team on FC 24 is Kyle Walker (84 overall), but he costs 118,000 coins at the time of writing, making him a luxury for later down the line.

In the meantime, consider signing Pedro Porro. The Tottenham defender can be signed for a modest fee and has enough speed and strength to handle most wingers. Davide Calabria (81 overall, 700 coins) is cheaper than Denzel Dumfries, but the latter is worth the extra expenditure for the speed he can bring to your right flank.

Noussair Mazraoui and Niamh Charles are solid building blocks to get your team off the ground, and if you are not sold on our La Liga pick, Lucas Vazquez (81 overall, 700 coins) and Nahuel Molina (82 overall, 950 coins) are available too.

Left-backs

As a self-confessed pace merchant, I have no interest in having slow full-backs in my team in FC 24.

Alex Grimaldo offers plenty of speed and will cost a fair amount, but he is worth the outlay, as the next best Bundesliga option is Robin Gosens (79 overall, 450 coins).

Ben Chilwell, Javi Galan and Federico Dimarco are not known for their speed but they cross the threshold I look for in a wide defender by having at least 80/100 sprint speed. Steph Catley is rated the same as Hannah Blundell (83 overall, 850 coins) but has better attributes for those who prioritise speed out wide above all else.

Centre-backs

Gabriel might be one of the best value picks in all of FC 24. At 1,800 coins, he ticks all the boxes in being relatively quick, strong and taller than most forwards. Sven Botman costs roughly the same amount as Pau Torres (83 overall, 850 coins), so there is not much to separate those two players.

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The La Liga pairing of Mario Hermoso and Nacho are unlikely to strike fear in many opposing forwards, but they are by no means incapable of handling tough tasks either. Matthias Ginter is the best Bundesliga option and Jonathan Tah is a nice pick as well. If you want an alternative defensive partner to play alongside Ginter, check out Edmond Tapsoba (81 overall, 700 coins).

Roma’s Chris Smalling and Gianluca Mancini are good enough that they could be in your team for a while as you invest in other areas. Amanda Ilestedt and Alex Greenwood also fit that description, but are more expensive.

Defensive midfielders

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is the best-rated Premier League holding midfielder (84 overall, 1,400 coins) available for less than 2,500 coins, but Joao Palhinha is a wiser purchase, given his rating is almost comparable to Hojbjerg’s, and most importantly, he is a lot cheaper.

Koke is our pick from La Liga, with Manuel Locatelli and Lia Walti representing Serie A and the WSL. There is another player, Robert Andrich (82 overall, 700 coins), in the Bundesliga who fits our criteria with a higher overall rating than Maximilian Arnold, but given Andrich’s pace is 56/100, you may be at risk of getting exposed.

Speed is not crucial for CDMs, but when there is a glaring lack of it, it is worth accounting for.

Central midfielders

There are lots of Premier League options who fit the bill, so here are a few more picks: Ryan Gravenberch (79 overall, 950 coins), Thiago (84 overall, 1,600 coins), Christian Eriksen (83 overall, 850 coins), Rodrigo Bentancur (82 overall, 750 coins), Mateo Kovacic (82 overall, 700 coins) and Youri Tielemans (82 overall, 700 coins).

If this was Career Mode, I would suggest signing Gavi (83 overall, 850 coins). But seeing that this is not an exercise in player development, Sergi Darder’s well-rounded attributes make him a slightly wiser player to include in your Ultimate Team.

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Elsewhere, Erin Cuthbert is the best WSL player available in terms of overall rating, while Stanislav Lobotka and Mikel Merino are solid options too. Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Lemar (82 overall, 1,000 coins), who is listed as a CM in FC 24, is also worth keeping on your radar.

Central attacking midfielders

It almost feels like daylight robbery that James Maddison is available at such a cheap price point, so be sure to sign him up if you use a formation that puts importance on the No 10 role. Cheaper options include Kai Havertz (82 overall, 900 coins) and Eberechi Eze (79 overall, 600 coins), who can both be signed for a fraction of Maddison’s price.

Catarina Macario got the nod here, but Caroline Weir (84 overall, 1,500 coins) and Fran Kirby (84 overall, 2,100 coins) are noteworthy too. The Spanish league is not blessed with an abundance of quality No 10s in this price range, so Iker Muniain is the best of a small group.

Thomas Muller (84 overall, 1,600 coins), who is now into what feels like his 42nd season as a professional, met the criteria, but his 56/100 pace rating stopped me from including him.

Left wingers

Jadon Sancho may have seen his role at Manchester United diminish in real life, but on FC 24 that does not matter. He is a good player available for a cheap price. If you are not sold on him, Harvey Barnes (80 overall, 500 coins) and Kaoru Mitoma (80 overall, 1,500 coins) are worth a look.

I have tried to include only players whose starting position matches up to the position I am scouting for, but when it comes to left wingers in the Bundesliga who fit this criteria, it really is slim pickings. For that reason, I would suggest going for Xavi Simons (79 overall, 1,200 coins), despite him being listed as a CAM.

Caitlin Foord is easily the best left winger available in this price range, even if she is a little expensive. Nicolas Gonzalez, on the other hand, is a cheap speed merchant, but Filip Kostic (83 overall, 850 coins) and Christian Pulisic (79 overall, 550 coins) are also worthy of consideration.

Right wingers

Miguel Almiron is the featured pick here, but Dejan Kulusevski (81 overall, 700 coins), Nicolo Zaniolo (80 overall, 800 coins), Leon Bailey (79 overall, 900 coins) and Mohammed Kudus (79 overall, 850 coins) are capable alternatives.

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Inaki Williams is one of the fastest players in the game but if you want another pick for a La Liga-based team, take a look at Viktor Tsygankov (82 overall, 750 coins). Samuel Chukwueze is a great bargain buy. For comparison, Felipe Anderson has the same rating (81 overall) but costs considerably more (2,400 coins). 

Serge Gnabry occupies that rare area of having a high rating without costing too much, making him the top pick for anyone building a team full of players based in the Bundesliga.

Strikers

Callum Wilson is a popular pick in Ultimate Team, but here is a list of alternatives in case you are not sold on the Newcastle forward: Beto (81 overall, 700 coins), Alexander Isak (81 overall, 1,600 coins), Julian Alvarez (80 overall, 1,100 coins), Richarlison (80 overall, 950 coins) and Ollie Watkins (80 overall, 700 coins).

Alvaro Morata was often the subject of criticism when he played in the Premier League, but he has well-rounded attributes and is available for a competitive price. If you prefer a player who can operate as a false nine, rather than an out-and-out centre-forward, Joao Felix (81 overall, 1,700 coins) is an option.

Romelu Lukaku is simply too good an option to overlook, as he is clearly the best striking option in Serie A who costs less than 2,500 coins. Similarly, Alessia Russo is the best WSL option, but if you want somebody cheaper, then consider signing Bethany England (82 overall, 500 coins) or Viviane Asseyi (80 overall, 850 coins).

(Top photos: Getty Images)

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