Few positions on the pitch are more important than your goalkeeper on Football Manager 26.
A safe pair of hands can be the difference between success and failure, and modern goalkeepers are even expected to kickstart attacks with their passing ability. Finding the right person to hold down this crucial role is vital.
Here are Sports Illustrated’s suggestions for the best goalkeepers to sign, regardless of how much money you’ve got to work with.
Cheap Options
Luis Malagón (Club América)
If you’re only working with a limited budget, Luis Malagón of Club América might be your guy.
The 28-year-old can be picked up for just £2 million and is good enough to start for the vast majority of teams on the game, while he’d be some excellent cover for an elite side.
Nahuel Guzmán (Tigres)
At just £475,000 and with comparatively low wages, Nahuel Guzmán is the best bargain option you’ll find if you’re just searching for somebody for the here and now.
The only downside to the Tigres man is the fact he is 39 years old, but if you just need some help while you save up for one of the more expensive players on this list, you’ve found your guy.
Keisuke Osako (Hiroshima)
It’ll cost you just £1.4 million to land Hiroshima stopper Keisuke Osako who, at 25 years old, is one of very few options at this price point that can offer you something for the foreseeable future.
With 14s and 15s across the board, Osako is a no-nonsense goalkeeper who keeps things simple and brings a safe pair of hands.
Péter Gulácsi (RB Leipzig)
If you’re a top side looking to save money in search of a new goalkeeper, RB Leipzig’s Péter Gulácsi is probably your only real option.
The 35-year-old is still great in between the sticks, with the attributes you’d want at the highest level. and can be yours for just £7.25 million.
Predrag Rajkovic (Al Ittihad)
Predrag Rajković begins the game on the transfer list but, crucially, is one of very few players who didn’t take a blockbuster salary when he moved to Saudi Arabia.
Al Ittihad will give him up for £5.5 million, which is the sort of deal any mid-table team in a top division should be all over.
Reasonable Options
Yann Sommer (Inter)
Yann Sommer is your man at this price point. He’s one of the best goalkeepers on the game but can be picked up for as little as £4.4 million, and his sensible wages make him a realistic option for any side.
18 reflexes is the Inter man’s stand-out attribute, with the only downside the fact he is approaching his 37th birthday.
Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal)
Al Hilal are looking to offload Yassine Bounou at the start of the game and will take just £4.1 million to sell one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
He’s got some hefty wages, so this deal isn’t as cheap as it might first appear, but Bounou’s earnings are nowhere near the sort of level that makes those Saudi transfers impossible to take back to Europe.
Édouard Mendy (Al Ahli)
If you’re not interested in Bounou, take a look over at Al Ahli, where former Chelsea stopper Édouard Mendy is also on the transfer list.
It’s a similar story with the Senegal international, whose above-average wages can be offset by the fact it’ll cost just £4.9 million to sign him.
Alexander Nübel (Bayern Munich, on loan at Stuttgart)
Bayern Munich’s Alexander Nübel has been a smart pick-up for mid-table sides for many years now, and that remains the case in FM26.
He starts the game on loan with Stuttgart but can be signed immediately if you offer up £4.1 million and hand him a significant contract.
Łukasz Skorupski (Bologna)
Łukasz Skorupski’s wages at Bologna are very affordable which, predictably, means his transfer fee is going to be a little higher.
£8 million is right at the top of this price range but remains excellent value for a 34-year-old goalkeeper capable of filling in for nearly any side on the planet.
Expensive Options
Alex Meret (Napoli)
Alex Meret has always been a smart signing on FM, and that remains the case on this year’s iteration of the game.
A release clause of £17.5 million is sensational value for an elite goalkeeper with 17 reflexes and 16 handling. You won’t find much better.
Mike Maignan (AC Milan)
You might want to act fast. Mike Maignan’s AC Milan contract is in its final year, meaning his price tag drops to a reasonable level.
£35 million is more than fair for a goalkeeper of his quality. There are 17s and 16s everywhere you look on his attributes page and his salary is a lot cheaper than most other stoppers with his current ability.
Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta)
Sticking with Serie A and yet another goalkeeper on an expiring contract. Atalanta’s Marco Carnesecchi is just waiting to be picked up by an elite side.
With a price tag of £17.5 million and an incredibly modest salary, the 25-year-old just screams bargain and still has plenty of room to grow with his impressive potential. Get him while you can.
Mile Svilar (Roma)
A former wonderkid who took the scenic route to reach his potential, Roma’s Mile Svilar is one of the best goalkeepers on FM26. Unfortunately, he doesn’t share the same dirt cheap price tags as many of his fellow Serie A stoppers.
That being said, Svilar is available for £45 million once enough time has passed following his summer contract extension. It feels like a lot, but you won’t find many players of his current ability for that sort of money.
Diogo Costa (Porto)
Diogo Costa’s price tag of £65 million is high, we get that. It’s worth considering, though, because he has just found his way into the elite bracket of goalkeepers on FM26.
That money gets you a 25-year-old stopper who will still grow into a better player than he is today, effectively guaranteeing you a world class option for the next decade.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Best Goalkeepers to Sign on Football Manager 26.
