by MaddFM.
Another year of Football Manager means another host of elite talents, bargain signings and high-potential wonderkids to be found in-game, and there is nothing sweeter than making a great-value acquisition wherein you can land a coup for your club either below their existing market price, or where their value soars after signing and outperforming for the team who are fortunate to be your club of choice in this year’s rendition of the game.
Negotiations can be fun, but sometimes there is nothing quite like pulling the wool over another club’s eyes by identifying and taking full advantage of a release clause inserted into a player’s contract - usually included when the player initially signs and often regretted by the buying club once that player begins to shine and show their true potential on the bigger stage.
Here are 10 of the best Releases Clauses that can be activated at the start of FM24.
1 . Serhou Guirassy (VfB Stuttgart)
Age: 27
Market Value: €16m - €20m
Release Fee: €20m
15 goals in 9 league appearances is elite level scoring particularly for a Top 5 European League but that is exactly what Serhou Guirassy has achieved so far this season, only failing to score in one of his nine Bundesliga appearances and lifting his side towards the top of the table early in the season.
Only second in Europe’s goalscoring charts behind the machine that is Bayern Harry Kane - on paper his release fee is not that impressive compared to his value but it’s clear that one is dictated by the other, we are looking at an elite striker in-game with outstanding all-round attributes in particular his Pace (15), Off the Ball (15), Finishing (16) and Heading/Jumping Reach (both 15).
The €9m Stuttgart paid for him is looking like a bargain now, and they will be desperate to increase or remove that release clause - you better move quick 👀.
2. Paulo Dybala (A.S. Roma)
Age: 29
Market Value: €9.6m - €14.5m
Release Fee: €12m (Foreign Clubs) & €20m (Domestic Clubs)
No your eyes do not deceive you. World Cup winner and Football Manager legend Paulo Dybala is enjoying his second season at Roma and although things seem rosy at the moment, the reality is that he has a minimum fee release clause of just €12m which he agreed upon signing, likely due to (a) hope that a bigger club would come calling if he could prove his fitness and performance levels, and (b) perhaps an ounce of doubt in the club’s trajectory with the ever unpredictable José Mourinho at the helm.
In FM24 we have one of the most skilled and versatile forwards available, still only 29 and despite not being the quickest, we are looking at a player with 19 Technique, 18 Flair and 17 for Dribbling, First Touch, Free Kicks, Long Shots, Passing and Vision - we are talking monstrous attributes in Football Manager.
Though his value is low due to a combination of his release fee and contract length (June 2025) - €12m for a player of this quality is not to be scoffed at.
3. Valentín Barco (Boca Juniors)
Age: 18
Market Value: €7.4m - €9.4m
Release Fee: €9.25m
We will be amazed if you haven’t already heard of this kid - the most signed player during FM24 Early Access as confirmed by Sports Interactive, and with good reason. Valentín Barco is one of if not the best wonderkid left-backs in-game, still only 18 but with excellent defensive and offensive attributes which make him ideal for deployment in any full-back or wing-back role.
Even though he only has one year left on his deal when you start a new save in FM24, €9.25m is a bargain in terms of (1) knowing Boca have to accept and (2) you avoid any undesired battles for his signature once he becomes eligible for a pre-contract agreement. Don’t miss the boat on this one folks.
4. Oihan Sancet (Athletic Club)
Age: 23
Market Value: €21m - €32m
Release Fee: €30m
Getting a player out of Bilbao is never a cheap venture due to their Basque-only policy which makes them exceedingly unwilling to part with their best assets (see Kepa @ €80m for more info). While release fees are universal in La Liga, it’s unusual to see one so close to their true value not to mention one who is already capped and has scored for Spain.
In FM24 Oihan Sancet is a 23-year-old versatile midfielder with superb attributes as a creative or attacking outlet - 15 Passing, 15 First Touch, 15 Vision, 16 Flair and a lovely 17 Determination - the lad can arguably play for any top tier side and still has plenty of room to improve under your tutelage.
5. Williot Swedberg (Celta Vigo)
Age: 19
Market Value: €6.4m - €9.4m
Release Fee: €8.25m
Let’s do a slightly lower one in terms of value (as we don’t all manage at the moneybags clubs do we?). 19-year-old Williot Swedberg is an excellent option for a mid-tier club largely because he can play in almost any midfield or forward position and is primed to be trained/retrained for whatever role you need him for.
Having already scored in La Liga this season (and played just 42 minutes across 5 sub appearances), he is clearly highly rated at Celta Vigo and in FM24 he shows great Off the Ball, Determination, Anticipation, Composure and looks like he can score a headed goal or two - definitely the makings here of a good player for an even better price.
6. Hugo Duro (Valencia)
Age: 23
Market Value: €26m - €31m
Release Fee: €26m
There aren’t many out and out strikers available for less than €30m these days, but with 6 goals in 13 appearances for an average Valencia squad this season Hugo Duro is shaping up to be a quality La Liga striker for years to come.
In FM24 we don’t yet see any green attributes, however with 14 Pace, Acceleration, Composure & Finishing along with 15 Off the Ball and Determination, this lad will most certainly score goals wherever he goes and €26m could prove to be a steal for the right club and the right system.
7. Maximilian Beier (Hoffenheim)
Age: 20
Market Value: €12.5m - €15m
Release Fee: €20m
I like this one. A lot. While you might think a €20m release clause is high for a player valued at €15m - Maximilian Beier is sure to develop and even get an attributes boost in the next data update having racked up 6 goals and 4 assists in just 11 Bundesliga games for Hoffenheim this season.
17 Pace, 16 Acceleration, 16 Work Rate, 16 Determination - pair that with decent technical & attacking attributes and you have an explosive versatile forward at your disposal who can do damage in this year’s match engine.
8. Gianluca Prestianni (Vélez Sarsfield)
Age: 17
Market Value: €5.6m - €10m
Release Fee: €11.25m
€11.25m for a 17-year-old Argentinian who has already amassed more than 20 Primera Division appearances for Vélez and who was recently named among The Guardian’s 2023 NxGN Top 60 Best Young Talents in Football? Sign me up.
We have known about Gianluca Prestianni for a while now ever since he was profiled excellently by @RocksEndFM for our Wonderkid Watch series during FM23, and it looks like he has maintained and improved his ability and potential this year as we see a 17-year-old whos is already first-team ready with huge scope to rapidly develop and progress in-game ; he can play on either wing and the combination of 14 Dribbling & Flair at such an early age is frightening.
9. Bruno Petković (Dinamo Zagreb)
Age: 28
Market Value: €2m - €4.1m
Release Fee: €2.5m
I’ll admit that this player even took me by surprise. 6’4” Bruno Petković of Dinamo Zagreb, a World Cup semi-finalist with Croatia who for those of you that don’t remember, scored a 117th minute equaliser in the Quarter Finals against Brazil which Croatia went on to win before losing to eventual winners Argentina in the semi-finals.
A powerful forward who can play as a #10 or an out and out #9, Petković has an insanely low release fee of just €2.5m in FM24 for a player who has 19 Flair & Teamwork, 17 Technique & Vision, 16 First Touch & Anticipation not to mention 17 Strength & Jumping Reach; this is a meta player if I ever saw one, and a player who is also enjoying a great start to the season in real life having picked up 7 goals and 6 assists in just 14 appearances for Zagreb this season. If you need a cheap forward who is ready to hit the ground running at the top level, this is your man.
10. Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
Age: 24
Market Value: €100m - €120m
Release Fee: €100m
We couldn’t possibly leave him out (@FMDoop would never forgive us). Another from the list of the Top 10 most signed players during FM24 Early Access; to put it simply - Victor Osimhen is arguably the best striker in FM24, and I don’t say that lightly when we have the likes of Erling Haaland and Harry Kane floating about. After scoring 31 goals in 39 appearances last season across all competitions and helping Napoli lift their first Scudetto title since 1990, Osimhen has been on every elite club’s radar and he continues to fire on all cylinders this season scoring 6 goals in 9 league appearances for the defending champions.
In FM24 we simply cannot ignore the fact that this is a player boasting a 19 Pace & 17 Acceleration with 18 Finishing & 20 Off the Ball; add to that his aerial threat (18 Heading & 16 Jumping Reach) and we are looking at the most feared striker you can imagine in-game, a defensive nightmare and one for whom €100m is an absolute steal if you have the means and wherewithal to nab his signature. At 24 he has his best years ahead of him - we know he likes when we put his shirt on the wall too 👌.
There we have it - 10 of the Best Release Clauses you can find in Football Manager this year, but for sure not the only ones - there are always plenty of bargains to be found if you put in the work, however that said if you would like to download a shortlist of some 40 players with release clauses in FM24, then you can do so below (I also recommend using my Player Shortlist view which includes a column to see Minimum Fee Release Clauses).
