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10 bargain centre-backs for FIFA 18 Career Mode
If the opposition don’t score, you can’t lose, so stick a couple of these bargain centre-backs in front of your ‘keeper and watch the goals dry up.
It’s said that attack is the best form of defence, but if you take to the pitch on FIFA 18 with two strikers in the middle of your back four, we guarantee you’ll leak goals.
With that in mind, we’ve scoured the transfer market in the game’s Career Mode for 10 centre-backs who won’t cost you the earth. All of them are available to buy in the first transfer window when you start a new save, and while the prices quoted are those we negotiated with the selling clubs, you might be able to do better by chucking in a sell-on clause or sending a player of your own in the opposite direction.
Our pick of FIFA 18’s bargain centre-backs
© EA Sports
Yaroslav Rakitskyi (Shakhtar Donetsk)
Ukraine’s most successful club of the 21st century has unearthed some great talent in recent years, launching the careers of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Willian and Fernandinho among others, but Yaroslav Rakitskyi has remained with the side he joined as a youngster. As centre-backs go he’s not the tallest, but with a mean free-kick, a knack for scoring from distance, and an eye for a long pass to go with his impressive tackling and defensive stats, there’s a lot more to his game than just stopping opposition strikers. Shakhtar will want €18m for the 27-year-old international, but his varied skill set and the fact that he can push out and play as a defensive midfielder if necessary makes him good value for money.
Niklas Stark (Hertha BSC)
Hertha’s Niklas Stark is ‘only’ rated 78 overall right now, but the 22-year-old has a big future ahead of him. The fact that he’s sometimes deployed as a defensive midfielder should give you an idea of the kind of centre-back he is, but it’s his potential of 85, not his flexibility, that you’re buying. That means he’ll set you back €17m, but if you’re looking for a ball-playing defender who can read the game as well as he can tackle, Stark’s your man. With acceleration of 75 and sprint speed of 78 he’s also one of the faster centre-backs on the game, just don’t expect him to keep up with Gareth Bale in full flow.
Davide Astori (Fiorentina)
Astori might be 30 years old already, but you’ll struggle to find a more reliable centre-back for under €20m. The Fiorentina defender will set you back around €4m less than that, but considering he’s reasonably quick you should still get a few good seasons out of him before he starts to decline. With both standing tackles and marking rated at 85, plus 86 for interceptions and 80 for reactions, he’s the kind of defender who likes to stay on his feet. He’s competent rather than impressive with the ball, but as protection for your goalkeeper he’s got all the right attributes.
Jannik Vestergaard (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
Standing at 1.98m tall this Danish giant will certainly add some presence to any defence that’s lacking in height. With a strength stat of 94 and heading accuracy of 86, Vestergaard can be a threat in both boxes, although with just 46 for sprint speed, you’ll have to be careful not to get caught on the break. That said, with a long-passing stat of 80 he won’t need to stray too far out of defence to contribute when going forward. €15m should be enough to convince Gladback to let the 25-year-old leave – and considering there’s scope for him to improve by about five points overall you’ll almost certainly see a return on your investment if you decide to cash in further down the line.
Yeray Álvarez (Athletic Club)
In recent years, Aymeric Laporte has been the centre-back most regularly linked with a move away from Athletic. Now that he’s gone to Manchester City, the Basque club can be safe in the knowledge that they’ve got a ready-made replacement in the shape of Yeray. That is unless you buy him. €14m gets you a good young defender who reads the game well, but can put in a strong sliding tackle if necessary. He’s decent with the ball at his feet too, and with the potential to reach 84 overall, he’s only going to get better.
Eric Botteghin (Feyenoord)
South American footballers are traditionally known for their technique and flair, but when it comes to defending, Feyenoord’s Brazilian centre-back is more beast than beauty. Botteghin’s strength of 91 is his standout stat, but 83 for marking, standing tackles and interceptions make him a serious obstacle for the opposition to get past. Standing 1.93m tall and with 82 for jumping he’s also seriously hard to beat in the air. The reigning Dutch champions will want €12.5m for the 30-year-old and his wage demands shouldn’t break the bank either.
Our pick of FIFA 18’s bargain centre-backs
© EA Sports
Jeffrey Gouweleeuw (FC Augsburg)
Jeffrey Gouweleeuw is typically Dutch in that he’s technically gifted and has a surname that’s hard to pronounce. With 84 for interceptions and 76 for long passing you could easily push him up into midfield without worrying, but he’s best in front of the goalkeeper, with 81 for standing tackles, 79 for marking and 74 for sliding tackles. A 69 for acceleration and 76 for sprint speed put him among the quicker centre-backs out there, and with 77 for long shots and 72 for shot power there’s no harm in him having a pop if the ball falls to him on the edge of the opposition’s box. He’s yours for €11m.
Iván Marcano (FC Porto)
With the Porto man’s contract expiring at the end of the current season, now’s a good time to nip in and pick up one of the Primeira Liga’s best defenders for a knockdown price (or, if you can wait, try to sign him on a free at the end of the first season). A fraction over €10m will get you an experienced, no-nonsense centre-back, with 82 for standing tackles, interceptions and aggression, so the opposition will soon learn whose ball it is. Good stats for jumping (90) and heading accuracy (83) make him a threat at corners and 74 for short passing means you can rely on him to keep the ball moving too.
Marek Suchý (Basel)
Some of Europe’s best players spent time at Basel in their formative years, including Ivan Rakitic, Mo Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri, and while Marek Suchý might not be up there with those guys, he’s been consistently impressive for the Swiss club. The Czech international will set you back just over €9m, but with 82 for strength, 80 for standing tackles and 78 for marking, he’s got the necessary skills to assert himself in plenty of defences and he’s not bad with the ball at his feet either. A solid rearguard addition to any team with limited funds.
Damien Da Silva (Caen)
With just a year left to run on his contract, you can head into negotiations for Caen’s Damien Da Silva with a pretty strong hand. Ignore any release clause and offer around €7m to get the French side to sell, or hold on and try and pick him up on a free in January. The 29-year-old has strong defensive stats across the board, with 80 for standing tackles, 79 for marking, and 78 for sliding tackles and interceptions. Throw in 78 for strength, 82 for aggression and 79 for heading accuracy and you’ve got a strong all-rounder who, despite his age, still has the potential to improve by a point overall.
