Football Manager 2024: Best Budget Forwards

Highlights

• Effective forwards are crucial for a team to win matches and be competitive in Football Manager 2024.
• Budget-friendly options like Dennis Johnsen and Lucas Palma can be integral to a team’s success.
• Veterans like Felipe Caicedo and Sebastian Palacios offer stability and leadership on the field for any team.

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 both 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 April 29th, 2024, by Evan Arnoldi: Due to budgetary and scouting limitations that are often encountered in Football Manager 2024, it can be hard to acquire information on players that can be acquired cheaply and become integral to a manager’s formation plan due to their tailored strength. This case often happens to teams in the lower divisions, such as the Championship in the England Football League. Therefore, knowing some of these forwards with good attributes without any scouting needs in-game becomes quite important, since these forwards can be a match decider in certain cases, as long as the manager knows how to play to these budget forward’s strengths and advantages over other players. Players can never have too many budget player options, and with that in mind, a few more of them are now included on this list.

10 Dennis Johnsen

Flexible Winger With High Dribbling And Agility

• Price: £4,000,000
• Currently plays for Cremonese

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 Premier League and other leagues.

9 Samu Castillejo

Solid Winger On The Right For Added Pace

• Price: £5,200,000
• Currently plays for Valencia

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.

8 Gabriel Strefezza

Agile And Quick Winger To Dominate The Touchline

• Price: £10,000,000
• Currently plays for Lecce

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.

7 Lucas Palma

Young Striker With Good Starting Attributes

• Price: £350,000
• Currently plays for Deportivo Maipu

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 both 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 a good Acceleration, Agility, Balance, and Pace to lose his markers while chasing through balls from a capable midfielder. Available for only £350K, any manager that is able to secure his signature can rest assured about the quality of the team’s forwards.

6 Jack Clarke

Young Left-Winger Hungry To Prove His Wonderkid Tag

• Price: £13,500,000
• Currently plays for Sunderland

Sometimes, a wonderkid will not develop to their expected level due to various factors, such as limited game time or overwhelming injuries. Jack Clarke is one such player, although he is now hungry enough to take back his wonderkid tag in Football Manager 2024.

Clarke’s high attributes of Acceleration, Dribbling, and Flair make him quite unpredictable on the left side of the pitch, making him a menace and allowing him to be constantly marked by the opposition’s defenses. His Crossing is also quite dependable for the strikers to finish.

5 Kiril Despodov

Determined Winger With Set-Piece Specialty

• Price: £3,500,000
• Currently plays for Ludogorets

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.

4 Sebastian Palacios

Quick Veteran Winger With High Work Rate

• Price: £4,200,000
• Currently plays for Panathinaikos

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.

3 Felipe Caicedo

Veteran Free Agent Still Able To Deliver Quality Performances

• Price: Free
• Currently is a Free Agent

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 finish 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.

2 Mateo Retegui

Pressing Monster On The Front With Composed Finishes

• Price: £8,500,000
• Currently plays for Tigre

It’s beneficial for every team to have a young player who can keep up with a demanding pressing system. However, these players can be pricey due to their potential and attributes. Fortunately, Mateo Retegui can fulfill such a role, with a low price of £8.5M needed to secure his signature.

Retegui’s young age of 24 enables him to still develop his already high attributes, which include Work Rate and Finishing. His Heading, Strength, and Off The Ball attributes are also above average, helping him contribute to a team of superstars without any difficulty.

1 Jonathan Rodriguez

Solid Poacher With Eyes For The Goal

• Price: £10,000,000
• Currently plays for America

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.