Welcome to the Lower League Gems series for the winter update to FIFA 13! If you want promising players for an absolute bargain, you’re in the right place.
These articles aim to highlight young, high potential players that are priced at £1m or less. The pre-winter update version of this series had 76 as the minimum potential, but there were simply so many eligible players this time round that I’ve had to up it to 77.
This year EA have been updating the game week by week. This means that player OVRs and potentials can change slightly depending on real world performances. As such, please note that the player stats on your game may slightly vary from those depicted in the table below. I tried to be as accurate as possible, but it’s conceivable that if you download the squad update in, say, two months time, some of the stats may be different.
Just remember that this year players can exceed their potentials if they play enough games and play well enough. Thus take this table to be a guide only. A player listed with potential 78 could reach the mid 80s (or even higher) if he consistently plays well!
As a final note, people have asked me what the ‘Avai?’ column is for. ‘Avai?’ is short for ‘available?’ (there is not enough space for the full word), and it refers to whether or not each player is available to buy in the first transfer window. ‘Y’ means yes, they are available, whilst ‘N’ means that they’re not. The number after the ‘Y’ or ‘N’ is the amount of years left on their contract. So ‘Y/2’ means that yes, they are available to buy in the first transfer window and that they have 2 years left on their contract. Similarly, ‘N/5’ means they’re not available to buy right away and that they have 5 years left on their contract. The ones to look out for are ‘Y/1’, as you should be able to get these players for less than their listed value. Players who are on loan will have a “-” in this column because information on their contracts is not available.
So here are my recommendations for right backs:
- João Cancelo
- Elliott Hewitt
- Manquillo
My first recommendation for this article is João Cancelo. This is the guy you want if you like your full backs to push forward and join the attack. He’s got a high attacking work rate (and medium defensive rate) and very good dribbling and crossing. He’s also quick and has three star skill moves, rare for a full back. Perhaps most importantly he’s got great potential and will become a key part of your lineup long into the future.
Next up is Elliott Hewitt. He’s extremely cheap, but Hewitt is more than just a bargain option. He’s very fast and has exceptional stamina, and he’ll be working hard for your team for the full 90 minutes. I’ve used him in a career and he’s such a useful player, simply because after a season or two he can outpace and outlast any attacking winger that tries to take him on or any defender that tries to stop him. He’s a great asset, both in attack and defence.
Manquillo is number three, and the reason I chose him is because he has the ability to provide top quality assists all game long. He’s got great pace, so he can breeze past defenders, but what really makes him stand out is his crossing (rated 74). Combined with his curve (72), he’s going to be whipping in dangerous, accurate crosses to your forwards and creating goals. He’s only 18 so this talent is only going to get better. If your forwards are lacking quality service then Manquillo is just the player you need.
See below for the list in full:
| Pos | Name | OVR | Pot. | Age | Cost (£) | Wages (£) | Club | Avai? | Foot | Weak foot | Skills | Traits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB | João Cancelo | 65 | 83 | 18 | 975,000 | 2,000 | SL Benfica | Y/6 | Right | 3 | 3 | ||
| RB | Fabinho | 64 | 82 | 18 | 975,000 | 1,000 | RM Castilla | - | Right | 2 | 2 | On loan from Rio Ave FC | |
| RB | Elliott Hewitt | 58 | 81 | 18 | 275,000 | 1,500 | Ipswich Town | Y/3 | Right | 3 | 2 | ||
| RB | Manquillo | 62 | 80 | 18 | 600,000 | 2,250 | Atlético Madrid | N/4 | Right | 3 | 2 | ||
| RB | Ashley Richards | 65 | 79 | 21 | 750,000 | 3,000 | Crystal Palace | - | Right | 3 | 3 | On loan from Swansea City | |
| RB | Jonny | 64 | 78 | 18 | 700,000 | 2,250 | Celta Vigo | N/5 | Right | 3 | 2 | ||
| RB | Wallace | 67 | 78 | 18 | 875,000 | 2,000 | Fluminense | Y/2 | Right | 3 | 2 | Long shot taker | |
| RB | Jack Hunt | 67 | 78 | 21 | 950,000 | 4,000 | Huddersfield | Y/2 | Right | 3 | 2 | ||
| RB | Loris Néry | 67 | 78 | 21 | 950,000 | 4,000 | Valenciennes FC | N/4 | Right | 3 | 2 | ||
| RB | Nicola Aksentijević | 65 | 77 | 19 | 675,000 | 3,000 | Vitesse | N/4 | Right | 3 | 2 | ||
| RB | Danny da Costa | 67 | 77 | 18 | 800,000 | 2,000 | FC Ingolstadt | - | Right | 3 | 3 | On loan from Bayer 04 |