Best FM22 Free Agents List: Best Free Players In Football Manager 2022

Our best FM22 Free Agents list is full of great players that you can sign for a bargain, across a litany of league tiers. When it comes to building a team in Football Manager 2022, you'll want to be as crafty with your money as possible, and sometimes a player who'll do well by you for years, can be found without having to spend a penny of your transfer budget. If you want the rundown of our best FM22 Free Agents that cover a variety of positions, we've got you covered.

Best FM22 Free Agents: Goalkeepers

Ali Ahamada

When it comes to taking a risk on a Free Agent, Goalkeepers are the worst for it. The last thing you want is a leaky mess sitting between the posts and they’re often the hardest position to judge before game time. Ali Ahamada is among the better options for a top tier team given that he’s only 29 years old and has reasonable demands.

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His typical wage will sit between £13-£17k per week depending on what role you offer him. His goalkeeping stats are extraordinary but backed up by inconsistent mental attributes. The worst offenders are his Decisions and Work Rate which sit at a rating of just 5. With game time and good coaching, these could improve but he’s worth a punt for his natural ability alone.

Ben Alnwick

A true journeyman, Ben Alnwick can still do a job at the lower levels of English football and is well worth bringing in at League Two level or as a solid League One backup. His wage demands are very reasonable with just £2-£4k per week the going price, again, depending on the role you offer him.

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He’s balanced and in his peak, but don’t expect him to stick around for too long as in some saves he’s chosen to retire at around 36-37 years old.

• There are also some FM22 bargains if you know where to look

Best FM22 Free Agents: Centre-Backs

Mateo Musacchio

This Argentinian brick wall is well worth his demands if you can tempt him to your club. At just 30 years old, Musacchio still has a lot to offer and the stats to back it up. His only weakness would be his aggression which sits at 17 alongside his trait to dive into tackles. If you can coach this out of him, he’s borderline perfect.

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With lofty wage demands of between £35-£45k per week, he’ll be worth the expenditure as he looks to play his way into your starting lineup. As a perfectionist, he’ll always give 110% and leave it all out on the pitch making him one of the best FM22 Free Agents available.

David Wheater

Many of you will know David Wheater from his time with Middleborough and Bolton in the Premier League but his most recent spell was down in League Two with Oldham. He’s a very situational player due to his poor pace and passing but if you need a stay at home defender who can be a threat from FM22’s broken corner system, he’s the free agent to go for.

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I’d say he’s capable of playing at League One level but perhaps more suited to the pace of the game in League Two or the Vanarama National. His wage demands are reasonable, sitting at around £1-£3k per week.

Eliaquim Mangala

Okay, a few of you may roll your eyes just hearing this name, but fortunately, despite being a Free Agent in FM22, Mangala is a more than capable defender with very little downside. The biggest challenge you’ll encounter is his wage demands which sit between £25-£32k per week, which may be enough to put players off investing.

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If you can negotiate him down to the low side of his request, then he’s well worth a punt and could even challenge for starting places in systems that utilise a 5-man defence. He’s not as prone to making mistakes as the real-life player but does have a trait that means he will try and play his way out of trouble. This could lead to more problems in a back 4 with less support to pick up any slack.

Best FM22 Free Agents: Full/Wing-Backs

Ahmed Elmohamady

This may be one of the best investments you can make in a player over the age of 30 in FM22. As a Free Agent, Elmohamady has had nothing but success in multiple saves where I’ve kept track of his progress. 

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A right-sided defender who’s proficient in the Full or Wing Back role, he can still do a job in the top leagues but will accept offers from the Championship. He will ask for between £14-£19k per week but is well worth every penny.

Iván

Ex-Levante man Iván is just 27 when FM22 begins meaning he’s got plenty of years left in the tank. Primarily a right-sided Full / Wing Back, he offers a great balance of skill, mentals and physicals that should see him complete for places in the mid-tiers in most countries. 

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His wage demands are a little on the high side, often coming at between £10-£15k but he can be talked down from here with bonuses and clauses.

Maxime Poundjé

French Wing Back Poundjé probably doesn’t look like much due to bang average technical skills but don’t judge this book by its cover! At 28 years old, his fantastic physical skills will see him dominate the left-hand side of the pitch in almost any position you ask of him.

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He’s defensively sound and offers a decent attacking threat so see if you can tempt him into your club for between £8-£10k per week and you’ll have bagged a bargain.

• Got some transfer budget to spend? You'll want some of these FM22 wonderkids

Best FM22 Free Agents: Central Midfielders (CM, DM, CAM)

Nabil Bentaleb

At just 26 years old, Betaleb is a fantastic option for a range of teams but does come at a cost. He can demand anywhere up to £40k per week in wages which may explain why he may remain a Free Agent for an extended time in some saves.

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He’s a very capable player who’s yet to hit his peak meaning you could get 3+ great years of production out of him in the right circumstances. There are no stand-out weaknesses to his game and his personality shouldn’t cause any issues in the locker room.

Tristan Nydam

One for the lower levels, Tristan Nydam is one of the better cheap Free Agent options in FM22. He’s just 21 years old meaning there is a little room to grow and he can play the Box-to-Box role fairly well.

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He doesn’t have an agent when the game begins meaning it’s hard to gauge his demands or interest without approaching him for an offer but he’ll typically ask for south of £1k per week.

Paulinho

A name that should be familiar to many football fans, Paulinho is still kicking around and is unattached as you begin your FM22 journey. He’s easily the most expensive Free Agent on this list with demands that can top £70k per week.

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Once again, he is usually worth the cost as he’s smack bang in his prime years but be wary of giving him anything more than a two-year deal as his stats have been known to tank after 24 months.

Kevin Mirallas

Another familiar name thanks to his brief stint in the Premier League, Mirallas can still get the job done in a few different positions, but we fancy him as an AMC first and foremost. 

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Reasonable demands can see him act as a fantastic depth option for top-tier teams or as a star player further down the leagues. His only weakness is his declining physical stats and below-par work rate. Expect to pay between £10-£15k per week which will primarily be based on his promised playing time.

Best FM22 Free Agents: Wingers/Wide Midfielders

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing

Just hitting his peak at age 29, Mendez-Laing has pretty average attributes across the board but would do well to bolster any mid-tier team as a right-sided Winger / Midfielder. It may be tough to bring him in if you’re working with a tight budget but he will sacrifice wages for bonuses and clauses.

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Expect someone who can challenge for places if not become a starter and can be relied on to stay out of the physio’s office (despite a long history with injuries).

Ibai Gómez 

If you’re after someone who’s technically gifted by maybe isn’t much of a team player then Gómez is your guy. He’ll prefer to play on the right-wing but is capable on both sides of the pitch in a pinch. 

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His demands are very reasonable with wages typically coming between £18-25k and he’s not chasing top tier football although he will make his final decision based on club stature over playing time.

Cristian Cedrés

Spanish winger Cedrés is another player who’s very capable of playing on both sides of the pitch although is more at home on the left. He has some weaknesses in his mental attributes but overall would be a great pickup in the mid to lower tiers of football thanks to some impressive technical and physical stats.

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His demands are reasonable and will adjust based on the reputation of the club approaching him but expect to have to pay between £4-7k per week in wages to get his signature.

Kai Corbett

Next up is Kai Corbett who, at just 18 years old, still has plenty of growing to do. Again, he’ll have no agent to consult with but tends to be pretty reasonable in his demands. Due to his age and potential, he may snub teams with little in the way of prospects for success but will typically be fielding offers from teams in the lower tiers exclusively.

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He’s a great addition to a team that needs an injection of youth and could probably be a starter in the right conditions. His wage demands are a little high for the standard of player but that’s once again down to his age and ability to develop further.

• Looking for some inspiration for your next career? Take a read of our FM22 best teams to manage list

Best FM22 Free Agents: Strikers

Rodel Richards

Tottenham Hotspur academy dropout Richards will start the game drawing interest from teams across three tiers of football. At age 20, teams that are higher up the football pyramid will want to sign and loan him out and this makes signing him very difficult.

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His wages will set you back between £3-5k per week and he will insist on his development being the focus of the team meaning failure to loan or play him could lead to disputes fairly early on.

Giovanni Dos Santos

This is a bit of a controversial pick for me as Dos Santos suffers from a low work rate, is susceptible to injuries and will rarely see out a full 90 minutes. What’s pretty magical about him is that he absolutely performs in any team he signs for.

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In multiple saves, he’s ended up in mid-tier Championship teams and gone on to be in the divisional Team of the Year thanks to prolific goalscoring. He can ask for upwards of £20k per week which is difficult to swallow but also has the versatility to play as either a Winger, CAM or Striker.

Andy Carroll

The big Northern lad has been struggling to find a home but in FM22, as a Free Agent, if you can tempt him to your club, he’s capable of offering a huge goalscoring return. He's certainly less effective at higher levels and some players have been able to tempt him as low as League One.

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His wage demands will be the biggest stumbling block will be his wage demands, which can be very inconsistent. You'll also want to make sure you only offer a one-year deal just in case your save ends up being one where his health and fitness don't hold up.

Hal Robson-Kanu

As a prominent Welsh international, Robson-Kanu still hasn’t quite started his decline despite being 32 years old. He can still do a great job on the wings but should only really be used as a Striker.

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He can fulfil a variety of roles including Target Forward and Deep Lying Forward which are among the more frequently utilized in FM22. He’s another Free Agent whose demands will fluctuate based on the club approaching him but expect to pay between £8-£12k per week for his services.

Now you know all of the best Free Agents in Football Manager 2022, why not find out how to utilise them in our best FM22 tactics guide?