Well it took a while, but I’ve finally been able to update the FIFA 14 Lower League Gems series for summer! If you want promising players for an absolute bargain, you’re in the right place.
If you’re not sure what these articles are all about, click the bold link below. Otherwise, let’s get straight in to the recommendations.
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This year I made a couple of exceptions to the price rules. I have included players whose clubs want £1.1m for them (as opposed to a maximum price of £1m) because you can negotiate this down to under £1m, and in some cases excluding these players meant to articles were lacking players you could actually buy straight away! For the same reason I have bumped the £500,000 rule up to just under £600,000 (e.g. £525,000, £575,000, etc).
The ‘Cost’ column refers to the price your scout will bring back after he’s looked at the player. The ‘They want’ column refers to the price you will be quoted by the team if you enquire about their player. These enquiry prices are negotiable, so don’t be afraid to bid below what they want.
The ‘Avai?’ column is short for ‘Available?’ and refers to whether the player is available to buy in the first transfer window. The first letter indicates this (Y for yes, they are available and N for no, they are not), whilst the number refers to the length of their contract. Y/1 means the player’s contract is about to expire, so you should be able to get them for a discount price.
Finally, because EA release update squads every week, this could mean that some of the players listed in the article below are slightly different on your game. Furthermore, players sometimes exceed their potential, while it has been noted that occasionally players don’t grow as hoped. Therefore these stats are a guide only.
NOTE: Aquino and Dani Pacheco are both available for free in the first January transfer window, which is why they’ve been included even though they cost more than £1m in the first summer window.
Let’s have a look at the left midfielders I recommend:
- Jack Grealish/Josef Alexander Martínez
- Robert Hall
- Dani Pacheco
- Elvis Manu/Fabio Daprelà
It’s not hard to see why Jack Grealish is one of my recommended players. With by far the best potential of any player in this article, he’s going to develop into a world class left midfielder. Already with 74 dribbling, 81 balance and good speed, he should excel at a lower league level, something which his four star skill moves will make all the more likely. Although Aston Villa want £1.1m for him, bid around £700,000 and they should let him leave. If you want a slightly more developed version, get Josef Alexander Martínez – his 88 acceleration and sprint speed, 76 dribbling and 78 ball control more than make up for his slightly lower potential.
While Grealish specialises in dribbling and beating defenders, if you’re looking for a wide player to supply your strikers then go for Robert Hall. His crossing stat of 70 is one of the best in this article, so combine that with his 84 sprint speed and he’ll be getting to the byline and whipping in excellent balls into the box. He’s also got excellent dribbling and finishing, so is a threat in his own right, while his decent stamina will stand him in good stead as he develops.
Dani Pacheco is next, but don’t be fooled by his high cost – although you can’t get him straight away, if you bid for him in January then you can get him for free thanks to his one year contract (just make sure you do it after his birthday on 5th January). He has some fantastic stats already – 82 ball control, 88 balance, 80 free kick accuracy and 73 finishing, so he’ll be absolutely deadly in attack. What’s more, he’s been known to glitch in some careers, meaning his OVR rockets to way above what it should go to, so by the time he arrives for free at the end of the season he could be very special indeed.
There are a couple more players worth mentioning quickly. Elvis Manu may only be 5’8″ but he has 78 strength. Add that to his 87 acceleration and 85 sprint speed and he’ll be extremely difficult to disposses. Just be aware that he’s on loan for the whole of the first season. Secondly, Fabio Daprelà is your man if you need a player who can defend as well as attack, and his 92 stamina, 85 acceleration and 88 sprint speed will see him covering ground at both ends of the pitch all game long. Like Manu, he’s not available straight away, but you may be able to put in a bid for him in January.
Now let’s have a look at the complete list:
| Pos | Name | OVR | Pot. | Age | Cost (£) | They want (£) | Wages (£) | Club | Avai? | Foot | Weak foot | Skills | Traits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LM | Jack Grealish | 63 | 84 | 17 | 200,000 | 1,100,000 | 2,250 | Aston Villa | Y/2 | Right | 3 | 4 | ||
| LW | Lucas Elías Ontivero | 63 | 79 | 18 | 200,000 | 775,000 | 1,500 | Galatasaray SK | Y/5 | Left | 3 | 2 | ||
| LW | Gonzalo Bueno | 65 | 79 | 19 | 325,000 | - | 4,000 | Kuban Krasnodar | N/5 | Left | 3 | 2 | ||
| LM | Dorian Klonaridis | 67 | 79 | 20 | 500,000 | - | 6,000 | Panathinaikos | N/4 | Left | 4 | 2 | ||
| LW | Ignacio Lores Varela | 67 | 79 | 22 | 500,000 | * | 6,000 | Bari | - | Left | 3 | 4 | On loan from Palermo | |
| LM | Chris Johnston | 62 | 78 | 18 | 200,000 | 975,000 | 1,500 | Kilmarnock | Y/3 | Left | 4 | 3 | ||
| LW | Diego Cardoso | 63 | 78 | 19 | 210,000 | - | 3,000 | Santos | N/3 | Right | 3 | 3 | ||
| LM | Oluwasanmi Odelusi | 62 | 78 | 20 | 230,000 | 1,100,000 | 750 | MK Dons | Y/3 | Right | 3 | 3 | ||
| LM | Robert Hall | 67 | 78 | 19 | 450,000 | - | 6,000 | Bolton | N/3 | Left | 4 | 3 | Flair | |
| LM | Fede Vico | 66 | 78 | 18 | 450,000 | * | 4,000 | KV Oostende | - | Left | 3 | 3 | On loan from RSC Anderlecht | |
| LM | Fabio Daprelà | 66 | 78 | 22 | 500,000 | - | 4,000 | Palermo | N/3 | Left | 3 | 2 | Engine | |
| LW | Thomás | 66 | 78 | 20 | 500,000 | * | 4,000 | Siena | - | Right | 3 | 4 | On loan from Flamengo | |
| LM | Aquino | 71 | 78 | 22 | 1,100,000 | 2,500,000 | 25,000 | Atlético Madrid | Y/1 | Left | 3 | 3 | Contract expiring | |
| LM | Dani Pacheco | 70 | 78 | 22 | 1,100,000 | - | 15,000 | AD Alcorcón | N/1 | Right | 3 | 3 | Finesse shot | Contract expiring |
| LM | Josh Sims | 57 | 77 | 16 | 90,000 | - | 2,250 | Southampton | N/4 | Left | 3 | 2 | ||
| LW | Wesley Saïd | 61 | 77 | 18 | 140,000 | 775,000 | 1,750 | Stade Rennais | Y/3 | Right | 2 | 3 | ||
| LM | Mattia Aramu | 61 | 77 | 18 | 140,000 | - | 2,250 | Torino | N/3 | Left | 3 | 3 | ||
| LM | Jimmy Cabot | 63 | 77 | 19 | 210,000 | 700,000 | 3,000 | ES Troyes | Y/3 | Right | 3 | 3 | ||
| LW | Daley Sinkgraven | 64 | 77 | 17 | 325,000 | 825,000 | 2,000 | SC Heerenveen | Y/4 | Left | 3 | 3 | ||
| LM | John McGinn | 64 | 77 | 18 | 325,000 | 1,100,000 | 1,500 | St. Mirren | Y/2 | Left | 4 | 4 | Long passer | |
| LM | Ryan Thomas | 65 | 77 | 18 | 325,000 | - | 1,750 | PEC Zwolle | N/5 | Right | 4 | 3 | ||
| LW | Denis Suarez | 65 | 77 | 19 | 325,000 | - | 4,000 | FC Barcelona B | N/4 | Right | 3 | 2 | Finesse shot | |
| LM | Thomas Pledl | 65 | 77 | 19 | 350,000 | 1,100,000 | 4,000 | Greuther Fürth | Y/3 | Right | 4 | 3 | ||
| LM | Josef Alexander Martínez | 65 | 77 | 20 | 375,000 | 1,100,000 | 4,000 | BSC Young Boys | Y/3 | Right | 3 | 3 | ||
| LW | Elvis Manu | 67 | 77 | 19 | 450,000 | * | 6,000 | SC Cambuur | - | Left | 3 | 3 | On loan from Feyenoord |