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You don’t always have to pay a hefty transfer fee to get quality players
In fact, sometimes you don’t have to pay any transfer fee at all. There are plenty of high potential and high OVR players in FIFA 15 who will join your team for nothing, and the only payments you have to make are for their wages. That can be especially useful if you’re doing a career with a lower league team where money is tight, but any team can benefit from free transfers.
So if you’ve never tried getting players for free in FIFA 15 before, I’ve put together this series to help you find the best free players available to buy.
How do I get players for free in FIFA 15?
That’s easy – once you’ve found the player you want, just find them in the January transfer window and press ‘approach to sign on contract expiry’. Just wait a couple of days for them to mull over the contract, and if they accept then they will join your team at the end of the season.
But you can’t sign any player this way – they must be aged 23 or above by the time the January transfer window ends and have a year left on their contract (i.e. it will expire at the end of the season).
How do I find these free players?
Well, you could send your scout to various countries looking for players whose contracts are expiring. Of course, the problem with that is that it all depends on the quality of your scout – poor scouts might miss plenty of free players.
But given how unreliable that is, you’re much better off coming here and checking out my guides. Just have a browse of the list below – I’ve included every player who can be signed for free and has a minimum potential of 75, so you know you’re getting top quality players all round (and check out my other guides in this series for more free players).
All the OVRs listed below are true at the start of a career. When they join your team their OVR is likely to have changed, so you can expect the players to be even better than how they’re listed below, provided they’re not aged over 30. If they are, don’t be surprised if their OVR has declined.
Let’s check out my recommendations.
Recommendations
Marcell Jansen can play in a whole range of positions
The elite option
There aren’t many free left backs to choose from in FIFA 15, but with Marcell Jansen you get way more than you bargained for. His strength lies in his flexibility, and he is well suited to playing all over the pitch. Not only will his tackling, strength and interceptions make him a solid defender, but he has the pace, crossing and dribbling ability to make him useful going forward as well.
He’s a danger in the air and can score from distance, while his passing and vision allows him to create opportunities for his teammates. He is, in short, a fantastic all-rounder who can fill in wherever you need him to play. With £50,000 in wages he’s a little on the expensive side, but remember that’s counteracted by the fact that you don’t have to pay a transfer fee. With the highest starting OVR in this article, he’ll make an instant impact and is well worth a look.
Fernando Marçal is superb in attack and defence
The mid-range option
If Jansen’s wages are too expensive – or you want more of an out-and-out attacking full back – then Fernando Marçal of CD Nacional in Portugal is your man. He’s faster and has higher stamina than Jansen, meaning he can bomb up and down the wings for longer, making him ideal if your game plan is to attack from the flanks.
That’s complemented by his strong crossing and dribbling, while his powerful shot could see him build up a decent goal tally. He’s not weak defensively either, and his tackling and interceptions should keep things safe when the opposition come forward. His good starting OVR, potential of 77 and £30,000 wages make him a great option for any mid-ranking team.
Hong Chul has some incredible stats on him
The budget option
My budget choice will be a familiar name to many readers: Hong Chul of Suwon Bluewings in Korea. He’s the fastest free left back in the game (86 acceleration and 89 sprint speed), while his incredible 90 stamina will power him through game after game. He’s also pretty strong for a full back (72 strength), which will boost his chances of getting the ball back in defence or holding onto it when going forward.
He also brings an extra weapon to your team’s armoury – excellent free kicks. With 79 curve, 75 free kick accuracy and 71 shot power, he’ll be able to score you vital goals even when you’re struggling from open play – a real boost for any lower league team playing in a tough division. And speaking of lower league teams, his wages of £3,000 make him affordable to all but the poorest clubs, something that will seem like even more of a bargain when he gets close to his 77 potential.
Now let’s check out the list in full:
| Pos | Name | OVR | Pot. | Age | Wages (£) | Club | Foot | Weak foot | Skills | Traits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | Hong Chul | 69 | 77 | 23 | 3,000 | Suwon Bluewings | Left | 3 | 2 | |
| LB | Fernando Marçal | 73 | 77 | 25 | 30,000 | CD Nacional | Left | 4 | 3 | |
| LB | Rúben Ferreira | 73 | 76 | 24 | 30,000 | CS Marítimo | Left | 3 | 2 | |
| LB | Marcell Jansen | 76 | 76 | 28 | 50,000 | Hamburger SV | Left | 2 | 3 | |
| LB | Graeme Shinnie | 69 | 75 | 22 | 2,000 | Inverness CT | Left | 3 | 3 | |
| LB | Gaëtan Bong | 71 | 75 | 26 | 20,000 | Wigan Athletic | Left | 3 | 2 | |
| LB | Park Joo Ho | 73 | 75 | 27 | 35,000 | 1. FSV Mainz 05 | Left | 3 | 3 |
Thanks for reading! I’d like to hear if you have any thoughts about the format of this article. Did you find it useful? Conversely, do you think it was missing something that you’d have liked me to include? Make sure you leave all your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.
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