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Check out FIFA 19's best bargains from Bundesliga 2
Strapped for cash in your FIFA 19 Career Mode? Germany's second division has some real hidden gems for you.
With some huge clubs down Bundesliga 2, Germany's second tier has more than its fair share of top-level talent. While Köln's 83-rated goalkeeper Timo Horn will cost you over €35m, there are plenty of more affordable players available who'll improve your FIFA 19 Career Mode squad, either straight away, or after a bit of training. We've picked out 10, all of whom are available to buy from the very first transfer window, and done the hard negotiating, so you don't have to.
The prices we've quoted here are actual fees we've paid for the players in FIFA 19, although no deal is the same, so you might find clubs settle on slightly different figures. If you're having trouble getting prices as low as ours, chucking in a sell-on clause, particularly with younger players who are expected to increase significantly in value, always helps to drive the cost down a bit.
FIFA 19's best Bundesliga 2 bargain defensive players
© EA Sports
CB: Jorge Meré (1. FC Köln)
After two seasons in Germany, Köln's young Spanish centre-back is attracting significant interest back in his homeland and when you look at his stats it's easy to see why. Rated 77 overall, with the potential to reach 85, he's one of the most promising players in the division and with his tackling, interception and aggression stats already in the high 70s, plus 81 for jumping, the ball-playing centre-back will slot straight into plenty of top-division sides.
That means this season's Bundesliga 2 champions won't let Meré go for peanuts, but the €15m you'll have to stump-up for the 21-year-old is more than worth it.
LB: Douglas Santos (Hamburger SV)
Douglas Santos arrived at Hamburg after winning a gold medal with Brazil at Rio 2016, but this season just gone was his best so far, as he narrowly missed out on promotion back to the Bundesliga at the first time of asking.
With 80 for crossing, 81 for sprint speed, 78 for acceleration and 75 for dribbling, Santos is clearly most dangerous in possession – his agility and balance even mean he'll slot in fairly comfortably as a winger if required – but his tackling stats aren't far behind either, so he's a proper all-rounder. Hamburg won't accept less than €13m for the 24-year-old, but his potential rating of 81 easily justifies the price tag.
LB: Jonas Hector (1. FC Köln)
Regular Germany international Jonas Hector has had plenty of opportunities to leave his beloved Köln in recent years, but the 28-year-old has stuck by them through multiple seasons outside the top division. With an overall rating of 79 and the flexibility to play all over the pitch, Hector could easily play at a higher level, particularly with 81 for interceptions, 79 for both standing and sliding tackles, 79 for crossing and 82 for stamina. Fortunately, loyalty means nothing on FIFA, so an offer of just under €11m should be enough to tempt him away from The Billy Goats.
CB: Kyriakos Papadopoulos (Hamburger SV)
Hamburg's 77-rated Kyriakos Papadopoulos is very much an old-fashioned defender. If you're looking for a centre-back who's comfortable on the ball and will help you play out from the back, look elsewhere. However, Papadopoulos has four standout stats: 90 for strength, 92 for aggression, 91 for jumping and 87 for heading accuracy.
Add in 80 for standing tackles, 79 for sliding tackles and 75 for marking and the 26-year-old is basically a semi-maneuverable blockade to sit in front of your goalkeeper. Hamburg will want €10m for the absolute unit, just don't expect him to do too much running or passing.
LW: Sonny Kittel (FC Ingolstadt 04)
Sonny Kittel is one of those wide players who doesn’t have pace to burn, but causes problems by drifting into more central positions to make the most of his technical ability. With 82 for agility, 81 for balance, 76 for acceleration and 78 for dribbling, plus a five-star weak foot, he can go both ways to beat his marker.
That unpredictability also extends to his end product, with 72 for crossing and 71 for finishing meaning he's equally adept at going for goal himself as looking to pick out a team-mate. Ingolstadt will want to see an offer of around €9.5m before they'll even consider letting the 25-year-old go.
FIFA 19's best Bundesliga 2 bargains
© EA Sports
ST: Lukas Hinterseer (VfL Bochum 1848)
Lukas Hinterseer has already signed a contract to play for Hamburg next season, but FIFA 19 doesn't know that. As far as the game's concerned, he's still a Bochum player with just a year left to run on his contract, meaning the 27-year-old can be picked up for around €5.5m. A proven goalscorer in the second tier, his stats of 77 for finishing, 75 for heading accuracy and 81 for strength make the tall Austrian a solid target man for a smaller team on a budget, while 72 for ball control and 71 for short passing mean he's capable of holding the ball up and bringing others into the game.
CB: Rick van Drongelen (Hamburger SV)
One of the Bundesliga 2's most promising youngsters, 71-rated Rick van Drongelen needs a bit more time before he's ready for most top-division sides, but with the potential to hit 83 overall, it won't be long before he's making a first-team place his own.
The 19-year-old is primarily a centre-back, but can fill-in at left-back if absolutely necessary, although with strength (79), standing tackles (75) and marking (73) his standout stats at the moment, it's obvious his future lies in the middle. The Dutchman has a €6.5m release clause, but you can ignore that and offer around €4m to make him yours.
LM: Tatsuya Itō (Hamburger SV)
Napoli's Lorenzo Insigne and former Juventus man Sebastian Giovinco have proved you don’t need to be tall to be a successful footballer and similarly proportioned Japanese wideman Tatsuya Itō has the potential to follow in their footsteps.
With 93 for acceleration, but just 69 for sprint speed, the 21-year-old is most dangerous over short distances. However, with 96 for balance, 95 for agility and 83 for dribbling, he can clearly do damage in small spaces. Hamburg will want just €3.5m for him, which is a real bargain if you can get him to hit his potential of 81.
CM: Salih Özcan (1. FC Köln)
70-rated Salih Özcan is another player who needs work, but if you can wait, Köln's 20-year-old central midfielder will reward you by reaching 82 overall. Right now, he's still got a part to play, with 75 for ball control, 74 for short passing, agility and balance, plus 76 for standing tackles, but with the right training he can become a dynamic, ball-winning presence who'll help your team keep possession in midfield. He'll also only cost you €3m, but if you haven't got time for that and need a ready made solution to drop right into your team, instead try Marco Höger for just over €6m.
GK: Markus Schubert (SG Dynamo Dresden)
Timo Horn's asking price a little too high for you? For less than a tenth of the price you can pick up Dynamo Dresden's Markus Schubert. The 20-year-old goalkeeper will need some time out on loan or playing in the odd cup game before he's ready to play first-team football, but with 73 for diving and 74 for reflexes, he's already showing signs of being a decent shot-stopper.
Schubert's contract is entering its last year, which would normally mean you could get away with offering under the asking price, but considering his potential rating of 81, Dynamo will still want you to pay around €2.5m to secure his services.
