Top 10 Best Release Clauses in FM24

 
 

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).

Thanks for reading.

Interested in being a guest writer for 5 Star Potential? Drop us a message on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM directly.

 

FM24 - Tactical Notebook

 
 

by Louis Bent.

The full version of Football Manager 2024 finally reached its hotly anticipated release on Monday, with players around the globe ready to transition from those testing beta saves to pride and joy expeditions in the main game.

With a new edition of the game comes new ways to win, with different tactical styles and player roles set to make the human vs computer battle even more enticing.

So, after playing the early access version and subsequently the main version for a few days since, here are some tactical perks I’ve found in my own saves that you may find useful in yours.

Inverted Wing-Backs - Plural?

Call me Pep Guardiola for coming up with this one, joking, no seriously please do. But having double Inverted Wing-Backs proved largely successful in my early access save with Ajax.

In FM23 I found using the double IWB system made a system too narrow, with little width involved and too easily exploited by wide midfielders in opposition teams on the counter. Even one became quite taxing in the previous version of the game, I found a quick switch to be very difficult to contend with when the ball was played over the top of said IWB.

However, it appears that a slight tweak to the role has left it more useable in the current edition of the game. The IWB now appears to drop back towards a normal defensive shape a lot more fluidly in comparison to previous versions of the game, you could put that down to teams in the Eredivisie being slightly less incisive when moving forwards against a better side (us) but still I’ve seen a reduction in IWB’s being exposed.

 

IWB average position out of possession (red line) versus in possession (blue line)

 

Creatively, the IWB looks like a winner, just take a look at some creative and attacking statistics from Juan Miranda, who joined me as a smart pickup from Real Betis in the summer.

 
 
 
 

He not only blows the league average out of the water but has excellent long throws which proved very helpful in those games where we struggled to find an opener.

A Libero - but in Midfield?

With the new function of this role set to revolutionise the way that the Libero works, I certainly found that when trying it out during my Ajax save.

Kenneth Taylor was the guinea pig for this, with him able to play the role that I hoped to use against sides we were likely to beat.

 

Libero Kenneth Taylor against Napoli in the Europa League

 

He’d play on the right of a two-man centre-back pairing with those Inverted Wing-Backs on either side. It allows the midfielder ahead of him to have the Half-Back shackles taken off and move into a more advanced role. Taylor would move into midfield when in possession, giving us numerical dominance over teams but quietly slipping back into our traditional defensive structure when we lost the ball.

The role allowed us to completely control teams we were likely to beat, with there always being en extra man in the middle of the park to pick up possession.

With positional rotations a new feature in this game too, you could see good rotations between him and whoever would be in the Half-Back role. I’ll admit, I’m still getting the hang of using this one in my teams, but there are definitely benefits which are mainly constrained to games we dominate.

Double Mezzalas

Possibly my favourite player role so far in the game (and it’s clear that MaddFM is also a fan judging by recent podcast episodes), the Mezzala poses a completely different threat to the opposition, offering overlaps in the wide positions. Now think about that and double it, two Mezzala’s could change your system for the better.

I struggled to get Dutch football stalwart Stephen Berghuis to suit a winger role in my Ajax side, I tried him as an Advanced Playmaker, but there was no luck with that as he struggled to impact the game.

So why not combine a more attacking central midfield role with some of those wide midfield qualities that he possesses, so there came Berghuis the roving Mezzala.

 
 

We then became fairly one-dimensional, only having one side to play into (the left where Berghuis moved into), despite the former midfielder’s performances improving gradually.

There was another player who could undergo a similar transformation, a player struggling in an Advanced Playmaker role, unable to flourish as a Winger - but a good mix of those two roles.

Gabriel Misehouy, one of the club’s top prospects who I’d aimed to integrate into the first team had developed okay, with mainly upwards-facing arrows but there were far too many games in which he went missing and struggled to find space.

So I thought, let’s give them both a try together. We were up against Excelsior who were in the relegation zone, a game we were expected to win. I felt that with either Edoardo Bove or Andre in the Half-Back role behind them, the pair of them would be free to roam as they pleased.

As much as I was surprised by their effectiveness in the roles, I was also intrigued at their tendency to create underlaps in wide space, particularly when facing a low block.

 

Berghuis loves a run into this area when a wide player has the ball.

 

When a wide player has the ball, he waits until his full-back begins to press to make the pass to our underlapping Mezzala who rampages into a dangerous half space inside the box - he’ll then cut back the ball to a striker for a shooting chance.

 

Berghuis in advanced positions.

 

I’ve begun to use these roles in my 3-5-2 at Elche, with two Mezzala’s to supplement wing-backs - hopefully, it’ll work to a similar effect.

All in all, these roles and tactics might not work for everyone, it would be pointless trying someone like Rodri as a Mezzala because he's the best holding midfielder in the world and overlapping in wide areas wouldn't be one of his strengths.

The same could be said for trying a non-league centre-back with low composure as a Libero on support when he's better suited to a No-Nonsense Centre-Back on defend.

It's all about what works for you, and if you can find a balance in your team and the players to suit these particular roles, you might be in for a successful reign at your club.

Thanks for reading - feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below or @5StarPod on Twitter.

Louis.

This is Louis’ second guest article for 5 Star Potential following his excellent piece on Simplifying Player Roles in Football Manager - make sure you are following him on Twitter for more of his FM content!

Interested in being a guest writer for 5 Star Potential? Drop us a message on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM directly.

Like Father Like Son - Footballing Sons of FM24

 
 

We’ve all heard the age-old phrase. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” - used commonly when describing a child’s likeness to one or more of their parents, and though this is often true in most walks of life, it’s not always the case in football and while traditionally it’s common for a footballer’s son to take up the same sport and attempt to follow in their father’s footsteps, the degree of their success has very much varied through the years and there are no guarantees that talent indeed runs in the family.

 

Peter & Kasper Schmeichel

 

Of course we have seen some great examples in recent years - Cesare & Paolo Maldini, Peter & Kasper Schmeichel, Ian Wright & Bradley/Shaun Wright-Phillips, Enrico & Federico Chiesa - all successful footballing sons emulating their father’s success, however the ratio of successful sons in comparison to their more famous fathers is exceedingly low and only a handful generally make it to the very top level and truly follow in their father’s footsteps accordingly.

That said - recently we are seeing more and more prodigies of famous ex-footballers emerge at big clubs, which may just mean that this ratio will likely increase with improvements in technology, player development and coaching etc. Today we will use FM24 to hopefully identify some of these early, so that we can better nurture these players’ development in-game and potentially look back in years to come knowing that we saw them first before they made it to the big time.

 

FM players when a wonderkid makes it IRL

 

Recently MaddFM treated you to a thread of footballing sons (aged 21 and under) of famous ex-footballers who can be found in #FM24, a list which doubled in size once the FM community got involved - you can find the full definitive list below 👇

FM24 Sons of Famous Footballers

Not a bad list eh? Let us know in the comments below if you have been successful in managing any of the players above, and of course if we are missing any then be sure to share below and we will update accordingly! The apple may not fall far from the tree but player development is the fruit of our labour - enjoy FM24 🚀.

Interested in being a guest writer for 5 Star Potential? Drop us a message on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM directly.

FM Youth Academy Challenges - Part II

 
 

by MaddFM.

Welcome back for Part II of our FM24 Youth Academy Challenges segment which focuses on clubs to manage in Football Manager who have a clear track record of producing elite level talent (outside of the standard European powerhouses) and as such make for a great save adventure as we gear up for the latest installment of the FM series from Sports Interactive.

Last time out in Part I we spotlighted 6 clubs across Europe (Le Havre, Stuttgart, Brescia, AZ Alkmaar, Braga and Southampton), and if you are here it means you either enjoyed that piece or are still contemplating your first big save when the new game drops on November 6th. Perhaps that will end here, let’s go 👌.

1 . FC Metz (France)

 
 

We return to France to look at another club with an interesting academy model and who despite having a clear track record of elite player development, haven’t yet managed to find a balance between on-field first-team success and off-field youth production. Founded in 1932, FC Metz have traditionally always competed in the French top-tier however have never managed to be crowned Champions of France, with their highest ever league finish coming in 1998 when they finished in 2nd place in Ligue 1 behind FC Lens. Over the past 20 years the club has largely yo-yo’d between Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, even suffering the ignominy of being relegated to the 3rd tier in 2013 and after another spell in Ligue 2 last season, they returned to the top tier as champions and commence life in FM24 back in Ligue 1 where they belong.

Despite this inconsistency and below-par performance in the French league, Metz have continued to be at the forefront of elite youth development in France largely largely through three main avenues: (1) Domestic talent recruitment & development wherein the likes of Robert Pires and Louis Saha came through the Metz youth academy before going on to win trophies at the highest levels of European football; (2) Metz’ extensive & established scouting network which has enabled them to be among the first to identify and sign high potential talents such as Emmanuel Adebayor, Miralem Pjanic, Papiss Cissé and (3) their affiliation to the Génération Foot academy in Senegal which has seen the likes of Sadio Mané, Ismaila Sarr and Pape Matar Sarr all make the transition into European club football via the Metz youth system.

In FM24 Metz are a newly promoted side in Ligue 1 which is always a challenge especially in Football Manager, and have also lost their star player with Georges Mikautadze joining Ajax in the summer; that said, with Excellent Youth Facilities and decent training facilities & academy coaching, there is an opportunity to reignite their academy to be the foundation on which their future stability and success can be built in France.

 
 

2. Feyenoord (Netherlands)

 
 

One of the more established on this list in terms of pedigree and quality of youth production over the past few decades, Feyenoord are hugely recognised for their player development and have consistently supplied many of the biggest teams in Europe with superstars and elite talents which were nurtured in their Varkenoord facility in Rotterdam. Having just won their 16th Dutch Eredivisie title last season (the first since 2018), Feyenoord are a very interesting proposition in FM24 given that their rivals PSV and Ajax are both going through a period of transition at present, with the latter very much struggling after what is officially their worst start to a league season in the club’s history.

Stefan de Vrij, Robin Van Persie, Georginio Wijnaldum, Jurrien Timber, Orkun Kökçü, Noa Lang, Marten De Roon, Tyrell Malacia, Gustavo Hamer - a consistent flow of top tier talent flowing from the Feyenoord academy each season all of whom have gone on to play elite tier football at domestic, continental and international level - Feyenoord’s track record is unquestionable when it comes to the production and development of players not to mention selling them on for considerable profit which goes a long way towards explaining why the club has only once ever won the European Cup (Champions League) back in 1970 in a famous win over Jock Stein’s Celtic.

Back to present day and Feyenoord present a healthy challenge in FM24 - having only lost the aforementioned Orkun Kökçü from their title-winning first XI last season, a domestic league title challenge is a fair expectation however the real challenge is to see if you can blend a successful youth academy project with advancement in the Champions League beyond their more recent track record where they haven’t progress past the Group Stages since 1999; rated as Excellent for their training & youth facilities as well as their junior coaching and youth recruitment will certainly do no harm in helping accelerate this and bridge the gap accordingly 🔥.

 
 

3. Sheffield United (England)

 
 

We mentioned yo-yo clubs previously and here is another one. Sheffield United were one of the original members of the first ever 92/93 Premier League season, but since then they have bounced between leagues repeatedly to the point where they even spent 6 seasons in League One before their gradual ascent and return back to the Premier League this season. Putting this to one side however and if we peel back the layers on Sheffield United’s internal structure and youth system, we have a club who have consistently churned out some of England’s top talent, players who have gone on to play for some of the biggest clubs in Europe as well as taking up key roles in the national team throughout.

The list is quite impressive - some of these names include Kyle Walker, Harry Maguire, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Aaron Ramsdale and Phil Jagielka - all players who started their careers at Sheffield United and have since gone on to make big money moves and play elite level football; unfortunately Sheffield United haven’t been able to capitalise on this and therein lies the challenge of balancing the loss of your best assets with maintaining consistent first-team performances.

In FM this is another newly promoted side who do have some strong and promising players in their squad (Cameron Archer, Gustavo Hame and Anel Ahmedhodžić to name a few) - with good all round facilities (and room for improvement), there is the makings of a long-term project here if you can manage to keep them in the Premier League long enough.

 
 

4. Las Palmas (Spain)

 
 

Somewhere a bit sunnier perhaps? Las Palmas, the capital city of Spain’s Canary Islands and home of one of La Liga’s up and coming football clubs who have returned to the Spanish top tier after a 5 year hiatus since being relegated in 2018. Formed in 1959, UD Las Palmas have never won a major Spanish trophy and shy of their 2nd place finish in 1969, the club hasn’t enjoyed a Top 4 finish in La Liga for almost 50 years.

Despite this and while the club has endured on-field struggles over the past 10-15 seasons, the standard and quality of their youth sides have rapidly increased to the point where a number of their homegrown products have gone on to play for some of the biggest clubs in Europe; striker Sandro Ramirez (who you may remember from a disappointing spell at Everton) is a local lad who came through the Las Palmas ranks before moving on to Barcelona; we saw a similar situation with Vitolo, who left island life for Sevilla and Atletico Madrid before going on to earn 12 international caps for Spain; more recently, the likes of Yeremy Pino (Villareal) and Pedri (Barcelona) have also emerged from the Las Palmas academy to become two of Spain’s most exciting youth prospects, both of whom are already fully-fledged internationals and look set to be vital components of Spain’s future international success.

Safe to say there is a clear track record of pedigree and quality when we look at the Las Palmas youth system and this is reflected in FM as we see a club with Great Training & Youth Facilities and a solid foundation of coaching and recruitment to build on. In FM24 we already see the next elite talent emerging with Alberto Moleiro still at the club despite being linked with moves to Liverpool, Barcelona and Aston Villa this summer; combine this with exciting players like Mika Mármol, Maximo Perrone as well as the experienced Munir and Jonathan Viera (another local boy) and there is a tasty save to be had in Gran Canaria this year.

 

5. Anderlecht (Belgium)

We had said we would bypass some of the more elite youth academies but it’s impossible to overlook the achievements and successful output of Anderlecht’s youth academy, who not only consistently produce some of the best talents in Belgium but are responsible for successfully developing some of the best players in Europe over the past 20 years. As the most successful Belgian side ever in terms of league titles and European participation, you may be surprised to hear that they haven’t won the Belgian Pro League since 2017 with their only major European trophy coming back in 1983 when they won the then UEFA Cup Final against Benfica; that said, this is a club steeped in European footballing history with one of the most successful youth academies in world football.

Romelu Lukaku; Vincent Kompany; Anthony Vanden Borre; Youri Tielemans; Alexis Saelemaekers; Jérémy Doku; Leander Dendoncker; - all players who can call Anderlecht home and who have gone on to far bigger and better things at domestic and international level, so much so that scouts from many of the top European clubs are practically season ticket holders at Anderlecht youth and senior fixtures and one could argue this was illustrated perfectly by the fact that Borussia Dortmund moved to sign Anderlecht’s most recent wonderkid Julian Duranville for a fee of €8.5m at the age of just 16 years old having only played ~300 minutes of first-team football - heartbreak for FM enthusiasts but a clear testament of the regard held for Anderlecht’s youth academy.

Similar to Feyenoord above - a save with Anderlecht may not necessarily be about domestic success but more so aimed at building and expanding this successful youth production, combined with attempting to better their European competition record knowing that the club haven’t progressed past the Champions League Group Stages since the 2000/2001 season. The facilities and infrastructure are all in place to create a dynasty in Belgium this season 👑.

6. Charlton Athletic (England)

Last but not least we return to England for perhaps a slightly unexpected suggestion for a Youth Academy challenge; Charlton Athletic, who some of you may only know as being long-term League 1 residents while others may remember the glory days when Alan Curbishly led the club back to the Premier League where they stayed for 7 consecutive seasons peaking in a 7th place finish in 2004, only narrowly missed out on European football for the first time in the club’s history before their eventual relegation in 2007.

In terms of academy graduates we are looking at some big names who went on to play for some of the biggest clubs in Europe and beyond - England internationals such as Scott Parker, Jermaine Defoe and Jonjo Shelvey all came through the Charlton ranks before moving on to pastures new and as we know went on to play for the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool and Newcastle. More recently, players such as Ademola Lookman, Jordan Ibe and Ezri Konsa have also emerged from Charlton’s youth system which shows that the club continues to recruit and develop top talent despite having to compete alongside London’s top clubs with 7 Premier League teams all playing in the Premier League currently.

What’s interesting is that FM does not really reflect this slight overachievement in terms of youth recruitment and development, with room to improve in their facilities, coaching and recruitment departments - that said, Charlton present arguably one of the harder challenges of this list but when it comes to FM, that’s what you are here for right?

That’s your lot. 12 teams outside of the standard European giants who have a clear track record of high-quality youth production, upon which you can build the foundations of your FM24 save as you look to drive both on-field and off-field success by leading the first-team to domestic and/or continental glory while simultaneously putting the club’s youth academy at the heart of all decisions made and at the epicentre of your save adventure. Let us know if any of these interest you in the comments below and if you have any other suggestions as we kick-off a brand new edition of Football Manager when FM24 hits our screens on Monday the 6th of November.

Interested in becoming a guest writer for 5 Star Potential? Drop us a message on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM directly.

 

FM Youth Academy Challenges - Part I

 
 

by MaddFM.


During his time coaching in the famed Ajax youth academy, Dennis Bergkamp was once quoted as saying that “The only team that needs to win is the first team. The youth teams don't need to win, they just need to make their players better”. When speaking of youth football, former Scotland international player and football coach John Collins once said “Winning games is for the coaches ego. It should be about developing technically, gifted footballers”. A quick visit to the Southampton academy website tells us that the club’s mission is as follows:


“To produce a first team year-on-year made up of 50% Academy graduates who are world-class in their technical ability on the field and behaviours off the field competing on the European stage”.


So what does this tell us? As Football Manager enthusiasts - perhaps nothing new, as we for years have invested countless hours combing through obscure youth leagues and focusing on building and enhancing the quality and output of our annual youth intake in-game. That said - it’s also fair to say that our first team’s exploits generally take front and centre when it comes to how we play FM, with youth production often a side project as we look to dominate and conquer within our save universe.

For some of you, hopefully that all changes now. If you are still on the hunt for your first main save in FM24, then you may have come to the right place as we take a look at the Youth Academy challenge in Football Manager, whereby the premise is to specifically take charge of a club with the primary intention of building and maintaining a world-class youth academy, producing players internally to be ready for promotion to first-team football, or alternatively developed and sold on for profit which in turn can be pumped back into your youth facilities accordingly.

Of course, it would be easy to look at some of the more well-known clubs in terms of having world-class academy setups in place - the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Benfica and the aforementioned Ajax all are among the first to spring to mind when we think about top-tier youth academies globally. We could also wax lyrical about Athletic Club de Bilbao whose entire model relies on internal youth production to propel their first-team sustainably, but that in itself is a whole other save concept entirely. Instead, we bring you a selection of slightly less-renowned clubs who pride themselves on their academies and have a track record of elite player production to prove it - some of which may be familiar to you, some of which you may just find surprising.

Here are 6 clubs to manage in Football Manager who have a clear history and pedigree in terms of producing elite talent via their youth academies; Part II and 6 more to follow soon 👌.

1. Le Havre (France)

 
 

Based in the North-West of France in Normandy, Le Havre Athletic Club are steeped in French football history, participating in the first ever French Championship in 1894 and becoming the first non-Parisian club to win the Championship in 1899. That said, the club has never won what is now known as Ligue 1 with their last major trophy coming in 1959 when they won the Coupe de France defeating Sochaux after extra-time.

In terms of academy production, Le Havre have a sturdy reputation in terms of notable graduates wherein the likes of Paul Pogba, Riyad Mahrez and Dimitri Payet all learned their trades in the Le Havre youth system as did the likes of Lassana Diarra, Loic Badé, Steve Mandanda and the three Mendys (Edouard, Ferland and (sigh) Benjamin).

Fast-forward to present-day and Le Havre have returned to Ligue 1 after winning the Ligue 2 title, and therefore are in the top tier of France when we load up Football Manager 2024; with Great Training and Youth Facilities, Good Academy coaching and some room for improvement in terms of Youth Recruitment, Le Havre make for a highly challenging but intriguing challenge as you look to battle with Ligue 1 heavyweights PSG, Monaco, Marseille and Lyon both on and off the pitch to secure and produce some of France’s best future talents.

 
 

2. VfB Stuttgart (Germany)

 
 

If Le Havre are flying high after returning to the top tier, then Stuttgart fans are flying higher judging by the start they have had to the 2023/2024 season, sitting in 2nd place at the time of writing with 6 wins from 7 games largely thanks to 13 (yep) goals from star striker Serhou Guirassy. Recent years have been somewhat of a rollercoaster for Stuttgart - winning the Bundesliga in 2007 (largely thanks to some homegrown talents whom we will touch on shortly), then being relegated in both 2016 and 2019 before returning to the top tier in 2020.

In terms of that homegrown talent - that Bundesliga win was largely fueled by academy products Mario Gómez and Sami Khedira who both went on to make big money moves to Bayern Munich and Real Madrid respectively, and though they have twiced dropped down a division, they have continued their successful production line through the likes of Serge Gnabry, Joshua Kimmich, Timo Werner, Antonio Rudiger and Bernd Leno - all German internationals who again went on to bigger and better things post their emergence at Stuttgart.

In FM24 Stuttgart already have Excellent Training Facilities, Great Youth Facilities, Good Academy Coaching and Good Youth Recruitment - a ready-made recipe for a youth academy challenge, made all the more interesting by the fact that the likes of Bayern and Dortmund are increasingly spending on first-team ready players rather than producing from within. Advantage Stuttgart ✅.

 
 

3. Brescia (Italy)

 
 

It can be easy to label Brescia as some kind of retirement home for players approaching the end of their careers having seen the likes of Roberto Baggio, Pep Guardiola and Mario Balotelli all moving to the Stadio Mario Rigamonti towards the twilight period of their football journeys, but there is far more to Brescia than meets the eye if we truly take a look under the hood in terms of former youth players and academy production. Although the club has never won Serie A previously and have been languishing in Serie B since they were relegated in 2020, the club has long been a stalwart of Italian football and more importantly, the production of footballing talent either side of their neighbouring rivals in Milan and Bergamo.

Let’s talk midfielders; in 2004 the club signed a 17-year-old Marek Hamsik and a year later he was making his Serie A debut, which teed up a future move to Napoli where he became one of the most influential and explosive attacking midfielders in the division. In 2018, an 18-year-old local boy by the name of Sandro Tonali led his hometown club to the Serie B title, quickly outgrowing the club before securing moves to Milan and then Newcastle where he became the most expensive Italian player in history. He wasn’t the first local hero to make a big impact at Brescia however - that mantle was first taken by an even bigger name who at 16 became the club’s youngest ever player: one Andrea Pirlo, and the rest as they say is history.

Added to that list are recent FM wonderkids such as Sebastiano Esposito and Lorenzo Lucca and Brescia are teed up to be one hell of a save in FM24, not only challenged with developing their academy but also restoring them to the higher echelons of Serie A 🚀.

 
 

4. AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands)

 
 

Since winning the Eredivisie in 2009 ending a 28-year wait since their first and only league title in 1981, AZ Alkmaar have enjoyed a lengthy spell of successful league campaigns, qualifying for European football every season bar two and firmly establishing themselves as the “best of the rest” outside the big three of Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord. This has directly impacted their internal recruitment and youth production wherein they have consistently developed players into their first team and subsequently sold on for large transfer fees.

Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta - €14m), Calvin Stengs (Nice - €15m), Myron Boadu (Monaco - €17m), Tijani Reijnders (Milan - €19m), Owen Wijndal (Ajax - €10m) - the bar is high at AZ even if their model is to cash in on their best assets rather than try to retain them and compete with the aforementioned big three in the Netherlands.

Top scorer for the past 3 seasons Vangelis Pavlidis looks set to be the next big-money departure however in FM24 he is a clinical finisher at a club possessing Superb Training and Youth facilities along with Excellent Academy Coaching and Youth Recruitment; the Eredivisie is always a hotbed of talent in FM, and balancing this with the constant reality of losing your best players to bigger clubs poses an excellent challenge as save adventures go.

 
 

5. S.C. Braga (Portugal)

 
 

Braga are similar to AZ in my eyes in terms of their wonderkid production being more recent than historical as is the case with some of our other recommendations. Up until the early 2000’s their most notable academy graduate was Tiago Mendes who went on to feature for the likes of Benfica, Chelsea, Lyon, Juventus and Atletico Madrid, but what is even more interesting is that since the same period, they have relentlessly improved and maintained their league finishes all the way through, from a world of mid-table mediocrity throughout the 90s to consistent European qualification over the last 20 years, peaking with their best ever league finish in 2010 when they finished 2nd behind Benfica.

Since then we have seen an abundance of homegrown talent produced through the Braga academy, all of whom largely moved on to bigger and better things whereby the likes of Pedro Goncalves (Sporting), Pedro Neto (Wolves), Francisco Trincao (Barcelona), Pizzi (Atletico Madrid), Vitinha (Marseille) and David Carmo (Porto) all come through the Braga ranks before advancing to pastures new.

With the Portuguese perennially dominated by the likes of Sporting, Porto and Benfica, leading Braga to compete and overthrow these is always a challenge but a history of producing top talent combined with good facilities for doing so makes for a tempting challenge in FM24.

 
 

6. Southampton (England)

 
 

We couldn’t really leave them out right? Southampton’s record of producing elite talent far surpasses their on-field success having been relegated three times in the last 20 years - somewhat perplexing for a club who up to 2005 had featured in every Premier League season since the competition’s inception in 1992 with back-to-back Europa League qualification in 2015 and 2016.

Again we are looking at a club who are clearly operate a produce/buy low and sell high model (gone are the days when Matt Le Tissier was a one-club player) - in recent seasons we have players such as Gareth Bale, Ben White, James Ward-Prowse, Tyrone Mings, Theo Walcott, Adam Lallana and Nathan Tella all pass through the Southampton academy, a huge improvement from a time where the Saints’ main notable graduates could be counted on one hand as we saw the likes of Kevin Phillips and Wayne Bridge both start their careers in Southampton.

In FM24 we find Southampton in the Championship following relegation in the 2022/2023 season but still maintaining Premier League level Youth and Training facilities in comparison to the majority of their rivals in the division. Even a fraction of the club’s previous player development would be deemed successful for this side, but there is only one way to find out 👀.

 

There you have it - 6 clubs to manage in Football Manager whereby their Youth Academy have been notorious in producing elite level talent and therefore the onus is on you to continue this work and take their academy to new heights hitherto unknown. With the full version of Football Manager 2024 dropping on Monday 6th November 2023 (and early access likely dropping a couple of weeks before this) - it’s time to get our saves ready, however if you are not yet convinced then fear not, Part II will be released shortly and will contain another 6 suggestions who each have their own pedigree and track record of successful youth production, and therefore are worthy of your consideration before you launch your first big FM24 adventure. As the saying goes - PROGRESS NEVER STOPS.

Thanks for reading.

Interested in being a guest writer for 5 Star Potential? Drop us a message on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM directly.

 

Prologue: Famalicão

 
 

Braga, Portugal - Some years in the future - An hour after the final whistle has blown, the sun is setting and the players are posing for photos and signing autographs with the fans that have stayed behind to capture this piece of history. 

These are common sights, sounds and feelings for teams in the top division who have European ambitions but for Famalicão fans they still have to pinch themselves, especially those who remember when the club fell to the fifth-tier, the Braga Football Association District League, in 2008-09. 

 
 

Famalicão were only promoted back to the Portuguese top flight in 2019 but their plan for steady progression began a couple of years earlier when the Quantum Pacific Group purchased 51% of the club in 2018 led by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer. The immediate plan of getting back to the top tier was accomplished in 2019 and that’s when the real planning began to build their stature gradually as Ofer increased the group’s ownership to 85% whilst holding a 33% stake in Atletico Madrid.  

 

Famalicão is owned by Israeli businessman Idan Ofer

 

The big three teams in Portugal; Sporting, Benfica & Porto have at times mixed their strategies:

  • Sometimes it’s buying from South America, profiting from their sales, rinse and repeat

  • Sometimes it’s taking advantage of their fantastic academy prospects

  • Sometimes they just like to waste money on average players and rack up debts until the next wonderkid can be sold to clear the decks. 

With that being said, all three teams have a HUGE following, they have great facilities and the pick of the local talent so any chance of breaking this triopoly would have had to take serious planning and a persistent mindset.

 
 

Famalicão had to be different, the Estadio Municipal 22 de Junho stadium held less supporters (5,307) than one tier of the Estadio da Luz (8,356) and with local rivals Braga a regular European competitor the management team had to think of plan to be the best of the rest with a view of upsetting the authority when the time comes. Their recruitment had to be clever, it started with taking advantage of the inevitable wastage from the top clubs, then it moved to finding value in all markets whilst always having plans for when the richer clubs invariably came looking for players and using that income to reinvest in all areas of the football club. 

 
 

That reinvestment now boasts a portfolio that includes a brand new stadium, a modern training facility and a backroom team that are the envy of clubs around the globe and whilst the Quantum Pacific Group have provided the financial management it’s been the managerial guidance of Fernando Couto that pulled all the pieces of the puzzle together to get the club to where it is today but back in 2023 when Idan Ofer approached the former captain of Portugal to take the reigns at the club it was the potential of the project that excited him , rather than the pull of being a former player. Speaking after the final game of the season Couto said that he was proud of where the club has come from but excited for where they can still go. 

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Next: We’ll explain how we got there in FM24.

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You can hear more about this save on next week’s 5 Star Potential Podcast & you can keep up to date via @FridayNightFM’s twitter.




Simplifying player roles in Football Manager

 
 

by Louis Bent

When the conversation of player roles comes up during your standard Football Manager chat, there seems to be an element of gravitas towards the more exciting names: the Raumdeuter, the Mezzala or maybe even a Segundo Volante.

Whilst all those positions have their benefits, the tendency to overcomplicate roles by picking the most intricate-sounding names or adding more individual instructions is fairly prominent when constructing those all-important tactical setups.

However, I’m here to show you there can be upsides to keeping things simple and holistic when selecting player roles in Football Manager.

The Centre-Back

When using centre-backs in either a three-at-the-back formation or a four-at-the-back system, there can be an inclination to reach for the ball-playing defender. Although its base instructions are useful when building up from the back in possession, which include ‘take more risks’ and ‘hold position’ in order to keep the ball more efficiently in a possession-based system - there are different instructions to add to the standard central defender role.

 

Example using Nico Jones as a centre-back with ball-playing as a high priority.

 

Keeping your team instructions on shorter passing whilst using these personalised role instructions ensures your centre-back will keep the ball more efficiently without trying to break lines as the BPD instructions would do. This has been particularly effective in my Edinburgh City save, where my defenders don’t necessarily have the elite technical ability to play the BPD role but do have ball-keeping composure and technique for the level we’re working at.

Occasionally if I find that my centre-back is a little quicker than average, I’ll use them as a cover central defender, so when playing in a mid-block it can be helpful to have someone sweeping behind the line with that extra yard of pace.

In Midfield

In similar fashion, when playing with a possession-heavy style of play it’s useful for me to have two deeper midfielders in different roles.

I like to use a DM on Defend duty as a screen in the back-line, which acts in a similar fashion to the Half Back player role, but offers a little more in terms of mobility in possession and can drift from those central areas into wide channels to offer an extra option when with the ball.

 
 
 
 

The DM on defend will still recycle the ball as a Half Back would, but isn’t necessarily glued to the gap between the two centre-backs, despite having the hold position instruction on - the player will drift into wider areas to help progress possession. This doesn’t necessarily mean your DM is going to start breaking defensive lines with his movement, think of him as doing ‘crab’ movements all the way through the game.

 

Thomas O’Connor’s average position in possession (blue) and out of possession (red).

 

Here’s the success I had with my Edinburgh City midfielder Thomas O’Connor, who played in this role in the Cinch Championship and since beginning this article has earnt his big move to fellow Lothian-based club Hearts. He was almost perfect for the position and despite a difficult season results-wise, still proved to be a consistent performer in this role and with the instructions applied.

 
 

The DM on defend works well when paired with either a Deep-Lying Playmaker or even a Regista if you are in possession of a player with that well-rounded type of skillset.

Now for some attack

We’ve covered a couple of defensive positions and assuming these roles have worked for you and you’ve managed to progress into the attacking third, what role might you use if you have someone in Attacking Midfield?

Well in keeping with the shape of the article I like to use an Attacking Midfielder on Attack duty, where the instructions almost mirror your typical ‘number 10’ position. This position relies on late arrivals into the box whilst ensuring the amount of creativity you’d enjoy seeing from a player in this position.

 
 

I once again had huge success in two divisions with the lovely Steven Boyd at Edinburgh City who would pride himself on waiting for a melee in the six-yard box whilst calmly waiting his chance to strike when the ball eventually drops.

 
 

Using the standard instructions along with ‘cross less often’, ‘close down more’ and ‘take more risks’ leaves them with a decent level of creative responsibility within the side.

In the attacking roles, be sure to also try a Winger on attacking duty with ‘take fewer risks’ and ‘shoot less often’ for similar effects in your wide positions, the same with an Inverted Winger but with ‘shoot more often’ on to ensure their cutting inside isn’t to no avail.

Summary

In short, it can be good to add the more fancy player roles to your tactical setup, however, it might well be useful to play them alongside or maybe even use these simpler roles instead.

Obviously opting for a holistic approach depending on the players at your disposal, for example, encouraging shorter passing for a player with poor numbers for passing, technique and composure will lead to issues, but as long as you take into account the personnel you're working with - this might just work for you.

I've seen some long-term success with it in my saves, perhaps you might as well.

Thanks for reading.

Louis Bent.

This is the first Football Manager piece Louis has written for 5 Star Potential - if you enjoyed it and want to see more, drop him a follow here and let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Interested in being a guest writer for 5 Star Potential? Drop us a message on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM directly.

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