Best Cheap Forwards In Football Manager 24

Key Takeaways

• Here are some affordable and talented players that can strengthen your team in
  Football Manager 2024:
• Dennis Johnsen – A winger with high Dribbling, Technique, and Agility for £4M.
• Samu Castillejo – A pacey winger with crossing ability for £5.2M.

Without an effective forward to spearhead the offense, a team will fairly often struggle to win matches in Football Manager 2024. At most, they will only earn one point per match due to draws. Therefore, a team can only be competitive once they have figured out a balance in their offensive maneuvers with both effective tactics and personnel.

These forwards exist in many forms of positions. They may be attacking wingers on both sides of the pitch, strikers that can either serve as a target man to continue an offensive pattern, or pacey poachers to finish off an attack with a goal. For teams on a budget, these are the best forwards the game has to offer.

Updated on October 30, 2024, by Mehrdad Khayyat: Scoring goals is the only way to claim a victory in a football match, and that requires solid attacking players who can take advantage of the slightest mistakes that the opponent’s defensive line makes.

Buying a new striker from the transfer market is highly dependent on the team’s playstyle and tactical mindset. A team that plays based on counter-attacks will require fast and agile attackers, while a team that relies on early crosses will need a tall player on the front line. In addition to all these factors, the budget is also a key limitation for every manager.

Only players with a transfer value of below $5 million have been considered in this list to fit into the budget definition.

15 Dennis Johnsen

Price: €1.3M – €4M

• Best Position: Winger
• Age: 25

Similar to strong defensive players and midfield maestros, quick wingers are integral to every football team that aspires to achieve honors and trophies, as they are able to carry an attack into dangerous places on the pitch without getting caught by the defensive players responsible for their zone of the pitch. Dennis Johnsen qualifies as one of those wingers thanks to his high Dribbling, Technique, and Agility, which is further complemented by his above-average Acceleration, Pace, and Off The Ball.

Normally, a player of his caliber will cost an astronomical price, upwards of £10M+ or more. However, Dennis Johnsen is fortunately available for the bargain price of £4M, making him available for teams in the lower side of the Premier League and other leagues.

14 Jackson Muleka

Price: €1.2M – €5M

• Best Position: Striker
• Age: 23

A hardworking striker who can function both as a goalscorer and ball-winner high up the pitch can be tricky to find. This is especially true for lower league teams that benefit hugely from the presence of such a striker due to the fact that ball-playing defenders in those leagues are rare to find. Signing Jackson Muleka as a budget forward for such a purpose will be hugely beneficial thanks to his attributes as a Pressing Forward.

His high Teamwork and Work Rate can be expected to shine brightly with a proper pressing system, as long as his other teammates can keep up with the system as well. Moreover, his Stamina will be able to help him keep up in any pressing system adequately, while also leaving some left in the tank to score properly as a forward whenever such chances arise after tackling a defender for the ball.

13 Samu Castillejo

Price: €1.9M – €5.6M

• Best Position: Winger
• Age: 28

Every team needs a pacey winger with a knack for crossing to the forwards in the opposition’s final third. Such wingers are always a necessity, yet existing ones are currently either overpriced, still in development, or already in their twilight years.

Fortunately, Samu Castillejo can fulfill such a role without costing more than £5.2M to buy from Valencia. His above-average Acceleration, Pace, Dribbling, and Technique make him a consistent winger able to beat his marker on the touchline.

12 Luis Muriel

Price: €2M – €5.8M

• Best Position: Striker
• Age: 32

Although his presence might not be attainable for lower-ranked teams in the second or third division, Luis Muriel remains an excellent choice for a primary striker for lower teams in the top division. He will be able to consistently deliver great performances thanks to his excellent attacking attributes, as long as the team’s playstyle matches his tendency to carry the ball through the middle like a tricky striker instead of a Target Man.

To cap off his scoring abilities, Muriel has high Dribbling, Technique, and First Touch numbers, ensuring his ability to dribble through any defender with ease, even in the top division. His above-average stats in Finishing and Off The Ball also help him enough to guarantee upwards of 10+ goals per season, as long as the manager knows how to manage his minutes properly, due to his advanced age at 32 at the start of Football Manager 2024 first season.

11 Gabriel Strefezza

Price: €2M – €6M

• Best Position: Winger
• Age: 26

Hugging the touchline is a skill that every winger should have. This ability brings a wealth of width to the team, stretching the play and enabling the manager to enact the appropriate gameplan to win the match. Attacking right-winger Gabriel Strefezza can do so, for a mere price of £10M.

Strefezza is gifted with the high attributes of Acceleration and Agility, allowing him to outrun and outmaneuver the opposition’s full-backs consistently, should he get the opportunity. Moreover, his above-average Crossing and Technique will enable him to deliver quality passes to the opposition’s final third.

10 Lucas Palma

Price: €110K – €350K

• Best Position: Striker
• Age: 20

Young players can sometimes be a gamble due to the random variable of whether they can fulfill their potential or not, while also immediately becoming available to contribute to the team. Lucas Palma is capable of delivering immediately and has the potential to be the best thanks to his raw attributes, being above average in Finishing and Off The Ball, important attributes to have for a striker.

Moreover, Lucas Palma is also well above average in the physical department, boasting good Acceleration, Agility, Balance, and Pace to lose his markers while chasing through balls from a capable midfielder. Available for only £350K, any manager who is able to secure his signature can rest assured about the quality of the team’s forwards.

9 Sergio Araujo

Price: €3.4M – €10M

• Best Position: Striker
• Age: 31

Having players with high Leadership is highly beneficial for weaker teams in the top division, as they will be able to rally players when situations go bad, both during the game or during a difficult period of the season. Therefore, Sergio Araujo becomes a cheap option to seek out for these teams, as he will be able to offer an above-average Leadership attribute on top of his high Work Rate.

Moreover, his flexibility to play in different positions also allows him to shine brightly as an option in the attacking part of the team. His Flair and Technique are enough to enable him to have a moment of brilliance during a game to break any deadlock, or even score the match-winner during the penalty time when opposition defenders have already depleted their Stamina. A manager who can secure his signature can expect to have a brilliant leader who performs consistently without depleting the team’s budget.

8 Kiril Despodov

Price: €5.2M – €15.5M

• Best Position: Winger
• Age: 26

It’s crucial for every team to have a player who can consistently deliver set pieces, especially if the player can consistently and accurately convert such a situation to a goal for their team. Kiril Despodov is blessed with such attributes on the left wing, for a mere price of £3.5M.

Despodov’s high Acceleration, Pace, and Flair enable him to either outrun or outmaneuver his marker on the left side of the pitch consistently. His high Flair also complements his above-average Corners and Free Kicks, allowing him to score long-range goals on long-distance free kicks as well.

7 Sebastian Palacios

Price: €1.4M – €4.2M

• Best Position: Winger
• Age: 31

Veterans are always crucial for a team that aspires to climb higher than their current position, as they will be able to lead the younger players through difficult situations such as falling behind in the scoreline or during a losing streak in the league. These veterans are commonly consistent and able to deliver a stable performance, which can be seen in Sebastian Palacios.

The veteran winger is able to move quickly in the right zone of the pitch thanks to his Acceleration, and when coupled with his high Work Rate as well, Palacios will be able to cover a lot of ground during matches. His above-average Stamina and Natural Fitness will also allow him to play for the full duration of a match despite his age, making him an invaluable asset for any club that is able to afford his services.

6 Divock Origi

Price: €875K – €4.4M

• Best Position: Striker
• Age: 28

Divock Origi had his best days at Liverpool, but he is still young and he has more than a few years left in this career to shine again. Origi comes with great Physical stats all around. He has great Pace, Balance, Stamina, and Agility, which help him to be successful in running away from the offside line.

The most impressive ability of Origi is Long Shot, which makes him more than capable of scoring from outside the penalty area. His Technique and Dribbling skills are also above average, making him ideal for going through multiple layers of defensive lines without losing possession of the ball.

5 Krzysztof Piatek

Price: €1M – €8.3M

• Best Position: Striker
• Age: 28

Not long ago, Piatek was a shining star on AC Milan’s attacking third, and players now have the chance in Football Manager 2024 to help him return to his peak days. Piatek delivers equally impressive stats on Finishing and Heading, though his Positioning might be a bit of a problem, especially for squads that plan to get away from the offside line.

Piatek is not good at Long Shots, but almost all of his mental stats are above 12, which indicates he will be at the team’s service, not with just scoring goals, but also helping the other players and delivering excellent teamwork, vision, and off-the-ball performance.

4 Sardar Azmoun

Price: €4.3M – €6.5M

• Best Position: Striker
• Age: 28

The Iranian striker is a player of Bayer Leverkusen in Football Manager 2024 but plays for AS Roma on loan. He comes with impressive Finishing and Heading abilities, though he is not the man to score from outside the penalty area, as the Long Shot stat needs more practice to improve.

That being said, Azmoun is still a solid offensive player with a decent Pace and Agility. His Jumping Reach of 15 makes him ideal for squads that want to benefit from wide crosses or corner kicks to score goals. Along with Rafa Mir, Azmoun has the best heading stats on the list, but he is also fast enough to remain as effective on the ground.

3 Rafa Mir

Price: €275K – €2.8M

• Best Position: Striker
• Age: 26

The young Spanish striker comes with brilliant stats and room for growth at a significantly cheap price. The amount of abilities that Rafa Mir delivers makes him a steal for the price tag offered by Sevilla. He is younger than most of the players listed here while having a great sense of scoring.

A Finishing of 13 and a Heading of 15 prove that Mir is almost as capable on the ground as he is in the air. Even if he can’t make it to the penalty area, Mir has a good chance of scoring with a long shot. Probably the only stats that need more improvement are his Positioning, Workrate, and Teamwork.

2 Felipe Caicedo

Price: Free

• Best Position: Striker
• Age: 34

Even though Caicedo is currently teamless, he is one of the best free agents in the game. He can still perform even for teams in the notoriously difficult Premier League and La Liga due to his strengths as a Target Man. He can spearhead attacks, either by linking up plays with his headers and passes, or even finishing a goal on his own.

Caicedo’s high Determination and Work Rate also make him reliable in every pressing sequence that can result in a goal from a careless opposition defender. Paired with his above-average Finishing, Strength, and Composure, Caicedo can quickly become a precious Target Man to have for free.

1 Jonathan Rodriguez

Price: €3.3M – €10M

• Best Position: Striker
• Age: 29

Sometimes, a team will prefer to have a fast striker with eyes only on the goal. This can be problematic for certain tactics that require every player to contribute to the play. However, for teams who only play a certain Route One style, Jonathan Rodriguez can be a steal with his low price of £10M.

Rodriguez’s high Acceleration complements his above-average Pace, Finishing, and Off The Ball. These attributes suit him as a poacher lurking on the edge of an opponent’s offside trap, waiting for a pinpoint pass to finish for a goal, or at the end of a winger’s crossing and converting it into another goal.