Follow @FIFAscouting

Click here to accept Marketing cookies and load this content

To skip to the full list of players, click here

In these articles I look at the best cheap, high potential players in FIFA 16, with tonight’s post focusing on centre backs. I’ll go through a few recommendations, then show you the full list of top quality players afterwards. For a full run down of how I choose the players and what the different columns in the table mean, click on “What are these articles all about?” below.

[expand title=”What are these articles all about?” tag=”center” trigclass=”noarrow”]

The articles in this series should give you some ideas if you’re looking for a new signing in a key area. There is one article for each position on the pitch to make it easy for you to quickly find players to bolster your squad.

All of the players given here have a minimum potential of 80, so you know you’re getting quality. The maximum OVR for each player is 75, both to keep transfer prices down and to avoid presenting you with too many options and thus making it too difficult to choose the player you need.

The ‘Avai?’ column is short for ‘available?’ and refers both to whether or not you can buy the specified player at the start of the first season and how long their current contract is. Let’s take Y/2 as an example – Y means that yes, you can buy him at the start of a new career, and the number means he has two years left on his contract. Similarly, N/3 would mean that no, you can’t buy the player straight away, and he has three years left on his contract. These ‘no’ players are often available for transfer if you wait until the January transfer window, however. For some players this column is blank – this means that they are out on loan at the start and are therefore unavailable for purchase until the second season.

The figure in the player cost column refers to the price you are given if you scout the player. There’s also another column – ‘Enquiry’. This refers to the price the other team want for the player if you enquire about him. Often there is a large difference between the player cost obtained through scouting and that obtained through an enquiry. This leaves a lot of room for negotiation, so don’t be put off if a price in the ‘Enquiry’ column is high, as you can usually get the player for much less. Try bidding lower than what you think will be accepted – you may be surprised at their response. If the ‘Enquiry’ column is blank it’s because the team refused to give a price, either because the player has just joined them or because they are loaning him in.

And as a final note, in FIFA 16 EA update player OVRs and potentials every week. Mose of the time these are very minor changes, and most players won’t be affected at all unless they have had a very noteworthy week. Furthermore, some players occasionally disappear if they have been put in the reserve squad that week. So just bear in mind that these figures should be read as a guide only and not a definitive account of player costs, potentials, etc, for the entire season.[/expand]

So without further ado, let’s see the cheap young centre backs that I recommend.

Jonathan Tah: potential 87

Jonathan Tah will grow into one of the world’s best centre backs in FIFA 16

If you’re looking for a centre back who will develop into one of the world’s best, you need Jonathan Tah. He’s only 19 but already has 91 strength and some fantastic tackling stats. The mental side of his game is good too thanks to his 71 interceptions, and his 76 heading accuracy means he’ll be scoring you some goals from dead ball situations as well.

Send an enquiry to Bayer 04 and they’ll say he’s only just joined; enquire in January and they’ll quote you £7m, with his wages being £25,000. Although he’s not the cheapest, his 87 potential means that he’ll be worth every penny.

And if you want a similar player, At?nç Nukan and Birama Ndoye are your best bets (with Ndoye being much more affordable as well).

Ivan Ordets: potential 81

Ivan Ordets has both pace and power, making him very difficult to beat

Two things centre backs do not usually have together are strength and pace – you’re more likely to find defenders who are strong or fast, but not both. That’s not the case with Ivan Ordets, though, who starts with 88 strength and 78 sprint speed. He’s strong enough to battle with the toughest of strikers and quick enough to deal with the fast ones. Not only that but he has one of the best marking stats out of any player in this article and poses a deadly threat in the air.

Shakhtar Donetsk will want £6m for him so you can probably get him for around £5.3m; his wages are £20,000. He’s absolutely worth it – his pace and strength will ensure he plays better than you’d expect, and he’ll be able to compete with pretty much any striker who comes his way.

And for a very similar alternative, take a look at Martin Hinteregger.

Sebastián Vegas: potential 82

Sebastián Vegas is cheap but comes with some excellent stats too

If you’re looking to save some money and still get yourself a high quality centre back, give Sebastián Vegas a try. Although his OVR isn’t as high as Tah’s or Ordets’, he has some real standout stats – his 87 jumping will see he winning headers in defence or attack, while his 80 sprint speed means he’s unlikely to get beaten for pace at the back. As with Orders, stats like those will mean he’ll perform better than his OVR would suggest.

Perhaps best of all, Audax Italiano (in Chile) only want £1.8m for him, so you can drop that down to around £1.4m and still get him to join. For a player with 82 potential and some brilliant stats, that really is an amazing bargain.

Now here are the other cheap, high potential centre backs in FIFA 16:

Thanks for reading! If you have any player recommendations of your own and have some ideas for the website, make sure you let me know in the comments below.

Don’t forget to connect with me on social media. I’m running the FIFA Scouting Tips YouTube channel, and you can follow me on Facebook or Twitter for all the latest updates.