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The 11 best free agents to sign on FIFA 20 Career Mode
The best talent you can acquire on a pre-contract in your first season as manager.
There are two different ways to obtain free transfers in FIFA 20’s Career Mode. The first is to simply sign them from the Free Agents list, but this initially only includes players rated 68 or below, with the majority proving surplus to requirements for high-rated sides (regardless, you’ll find the top picks of this group lower down in the article).
The other approach sees you take advantage of pre-contract agreements. This allows you to snap up players with expiring contracts from January 1st in Career Mode, with some of the game’s biggest superstars up for grabs. Here are 11 of the best free transfers you can complete during your first season in the dugout.
1. Walter Benítez (GK, OGC Nice)
Walter Benitez is a quality keeper with room to grow
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Although OGC Nice’s Walter Benítez isn’t the highest-rated keeper you can sign on a pre-contract, he’s your best bet for long-term saves in Career Mode. The ages of Casillas (38), Emiliano Viviano (33) and Adán (32) suggest they’re approaching the latter stages of their careers, while the 26-year-old Benítez boasts the potential to be just as good as any of them in future seasons.
2. Sergio Ramos (CB, Real Madrid)
You can sign one of the best centre-backs in the game for free
© EA Sports
Who wouldn’t want Spain and Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos in their side? The 33-year-old might not be the youngest centre-back available on a pre-contract, but he’s certainly one of the best. You’ll need to pay some big wages to get him (he’s currently on £260k per-week at Los Blancos), but if you can afford him, you’ll have a top superstar on your hands.
3. Giorgio Chiellini (CB, Piemonte Calcio)
Giorgio Chiellini has incredible defensive stats
© EA Sports
Juventus, or Piemonte Calcio as they’re known in FIFA 20, and Italy legend Giorgio Chiellini is another centre-back you’ll definitely want to seek out on January 1st. The 34-year-old boasts an 89 overall rating (at least initially), and benefits from incredible defensive attributes such as 94 defensive awareness. You’ll be looking at around £120k-195k per-week to sign him.
4. Toby Alderweireld (CB, Spurs)
Toby Alderweireld is another excellent option at the back
© EA Sports
Toby Alderweireld is one of two Tottenham centre-backs you can potentially obtain on a pre-contract (the other being Jan Vertonghen), each adopting an 87 initial overall rating. Paris Saint Germain’s (PSG's) Thiago Silva is another 87-rated CB you can seek out, but his advancing age (34) makes the two Spurs players slightly more favourable when embarking on a multi-season career.
5. Alex Sandro (LB, Piemonte Calcio)
Alex Sandro is one of the quickest and highest-rated wing-backs in the game
© EA Sports
The best left-back in the list is Piemonte Calcio’s Alex Sandro. The 28-year-old Brazilian enjoys an overall rating of 85 with 91 in stamina, 85 sprint speed and 84 reactions. Again, he’s operating on a fairly high wage (£135k per-week), but he’s definitely worth signing as one of the fastest and most dominant left-backs in the game.
6. Fernandinho (CDM, Man City)
Fernandinho is a incredible midfielder
© EA Sports
Man City and Brazil star Fernandinho is a central defensive midfielder who proves highly effective covering any backline, taking advantage of his 89 interceptions, 89 reactions and 87 defensive awareness. You can purchase him for around £15.6m-£21.7m in Career Mode, or wait it out and try to sign him for around £200k-280k (in wages) on January 1st.
7. Luka Modrić (CM, Real Madrid)
Luka Modric is worth paying the high wages for
© EA Sports
Looking for the highest-rated pre-contract free agent at your disposal? Look no further than Real Madrid and Croatia star, Luka Modrić. The 33-year-old centre-midfielder is fitted with an initial overall rating of 90 in FIFA 20, making him one of the best midfielders in the entire game. Snap him up at all costs, but don’t expect easy negotiations with his agent.
8. Christian Eriksen (CM/CAM, Spurs)
Christian Eriksen
© EA Sports
Spurs’ Christian Eriksen is one of the few players on this list whose potential still provides them with room to improve. The 27-year-old Danish central-attacking midfielder begins Career Mode with an overall rating of 88, but this can evolve to an 89 over time or possibly even higher thanks to dynamic potential. In any case, he's one of the top CAMs in FIFA 20, and will cost you around £200k-300k in wages.
9. David Silva (CM/CAM, Man City)
David Silva is a midfield maestro who could make a big difference
© EA Sports
The second Man City (and Spanish) player on this list is 33-year-old David Silva, who like Eriksen, can play in centre-midfield or as a central-attacking midfielder. Silva is available for the high cost of £240k-370k when signing him on January 1st, but comes equipped with a great set of attributes, including 92 ball control, 92 short passing and 92 composure.
10. Edinson Cavani (ST, PSG)
Edinson Cavani is a phenomenal forward guaranteed to get goals
© EA Sports
PSG’s Edinson Cavani is the highest-rated striker you can acquire on a pre-contract in the first season, boasting an initial overall rating of 88. He’s an outstanding aerial presence as well proving lethal with the ball at his feet, sporting a 90 in volleys, 89 heading and 88 finishing. Expect the Uruguayan forward to ask for around £170k-270k in wages in the first season.
11. Dries Mertens (ST, Napoli)
Dries Merten is absolutely rapid and a handful for defenders
© EA Sports
Like Cavani, Napoli’s Dries Mertens is a 32-year-old striker with fantastic goalscoring abilities. Mertens’ 94 agility and 93 acceleration make him a pacey presence on the ball, while his 86 finishing allows him to prove clinical in front of goal. You’ll be looking at around £150k-250k to acquire the Belgian star for your squad in FIFA 20’s Career Mode.
FIFA 20 Career Mode day-one Free Agents with the highest potential
GK: R. Cordano (Potential = 76)
RB: E. Saavedra (Potential = 71)
CB: A. Mansour (Potential = 72)
CB: L. Väisänen (Potential = 76)
LB: R. Fernández (Potential = 74)
CDM: J. Pretell (Potential = 77)
CM: S. Slavchev (Potential = 71)
RM: R. Vaca (Potential = 80)
CAM: S. Szymański (Potential = 84)
ST: L. Zahović (Potential = 75)
ST: L. Vaca (Potential = 73)
