Who are the best free agents in FC 27 Career Mode?

Looking to build a dream squad on a budget? Here are the best free agents to sign in FC 27 Career Mode, from hidden gems to players ready to make an instant impact.
Written by Chris Jecks
7 min readPublished on
Memphis Depay seen at Red Bull Street Rhythm by Memphis Depay in Barcelona, Spain in 2022.
© Rutger Pauw/Red Bull Content Pool
EA FC 27’s Career Mode gives you the opportunity to manage a team of your choice and lead them to glory. Whether you’re taking a small club into the top division or guiding a fallen giant to European glory once more, you’ll need tactical prowess, a network of scouts and the ability to exploit bargains in the transfer market. Free agents are a great way to add depth and experience to your squad at a vastly reduced cost.
While free agents will vary by playthrough after the first season, they’ll be the same for all players in the first summer transfer window. To help identify some of the best free agents, this list is based on their current overall ratings, potential ratings and wage-to-ability ratio.
01

Memphis Depay

Memphis Depay seen in EA Sports FC 27 Career Mode.

Memphis Depay is one of the biggest names you can pick up for free

© EA Sports

  • Position: ST
  • OVR: 80
  • POT: 85
  • Age: 32
Memphis Depay is one of the better-known names on the free agents list in EA FC 27. Despite being 32, he still has strong attacking stats that’ll come in useful for teams across a range of levels.
He’s able to play across the entire front line, and his five-star skill moves and three-star weak foot mean he can still be a tricky player to come up against for defenders.
While he might be coming towards the end of his playing years, his 85 potential rating gives him some room to improve on his current 80 OVR. All of that for a very affordable wage for mid-to-large clubs makes Depay a useful option for teams looking for an experienced attacker without a transfer fee.
02

Giorgian De Arrascaeta

Giorgian De Arrascaeta seen in EA Sports FC 27 Career Mode.

Giorgian De Arrascaeta is a pure playmaker

© EA Sports

  • Position: CAM
  • OVR: 83
  • POT: 83
  • Age: 32
De Arrascaeta is a playmaker through and through. His passing, dribbling and pace stats make him a great option to have on the wings or as a central attacking midfielder pulling the strings of the attack. Plus, his four-star weak foot makes him that little bit more unpredictable and versatile when making passes or finishing chances.
The only drawback is that De Arrascaeta has reached his potential. However, as long as you’re happy with his stats when you sign him, he’s still a good option for your attacking positions.
03

Angel Yondjo Matah

Angel Yondjo Matah seen in EA Sports FC 27 Career Mode.

Angel Yondjo Matah has the potential to lead your line for years to come

© EA Sports

  • Position: ST
  • OVR: 60
  • POT: 74
  • Age: 19
Yondjo Matah is a young striker with bags of potential. While he’s rough around the edges to begin with, he’s got plenty of years ahead of him to develop towards his potential with regular game time and the right support.
What’s more, his wages are incredibly low, making him ideal for career modes starting in lower leagues, or for bigger clubs if you want to moneyball your way to the top. Sign him on a free, help him grow and reach his potential, and sell him on for a huge profit, or let him lead your attacking line. The foundations for a great striker are there, with solid acceleration, sprint speed, positioning and finishing.
04

David Alaba

David Alaba seen in EA Sports FC 27 Career Mode.

David Alaba has played for some of the biggest clubs in Europe

© EA Sports

  • Position: CB
  • OVR: 80
  • POT: 87
  • Age: 34
Another of the big names on this list, Alaba may not be the fastest centre back, but his strong stats elsewhere make up for it. He’s still a competent tackler and has the strength and passing range to play out from the back.
Despite being 34, his 87 potential rating gives him plenty of room to improve on his current OVR. This will likely require a lot of game time, but his relatively low wage makes him an appealing option for teams looking for an experienced centre back.
05

Lucas Paquetá

Lucas Paquetá seen in EA Sports FC 27 Career Mode.

Lucas Paquetá is a versatile forward option

© EA Sports

  • Position: CAM
  • OVR: 79
  • POT: 82
  • Age: 29
Lucas Paquetá is one of the best free agents you can get in EA FC 27’s Career Mode for a few reasons. First off, he’s 29, so he should still have several useful seasons ahead of him. Second, his potential rating is slightly higher than his current OVR, and tied to that, he’s perfectly serviceable as an option on either wing, as a forward, or as a CAM.
This makes him a great rotation option to have on your team, or just a versatile player who can cover for your other attacking players when they get injured. His pace stats are a bit lacking, but if you make use of his five-star skill moves and four-star weak foot, and put pacey players around him, he can still be a great addition to your team.
06

Hugo Souza

Hugo Souza seen in EA Sports FC 27 Career Mode.

Hugo Souza is a big 'keeper with bags of potential

© EA Sports

  • Position: GK
  • OVR: 78
  • POT: 83
  • Age: 27
The only keeper on our list is also one of the younger options. At 6ft 6in [1.98m], he can be a real challenge to get past. His initial keeping stats are respectable, but if he’s able to realise his potential, he could develop into a goalkeeper comparable with those currently plying their trade at top clubs.
He also has affordable wage requirements, making him a useful signing for teams pushing for promotion that need a dependable pair of hands between the sticks.
07

Luiz Henrique

Luiz Henrique seen in EA Sports FC 27 Career Mode.

Luiz Henrique offers pace out wide

© EA Sports

  • Position: RM
  • OVR: 78
  • POT: 81
  • Age: 25
Luiz Henrique is a useful winger for players who want plenty of pace, excellent dribbling and a dash of Brazilian flair. With four-star skill moves, a four-star weak foot, an 86 in dribbling, an 89 in acceleration,and 87 in sprint speed, he’s got all the ingredients to be a solid starter for all but the very biggest teams in the game.
His potential rating of 81 should be achievable with regular game time and the right environment. That can make him a good player to bring on off the bench against tired legs for even title-contending teams.
08

Toni Fruk

Toni Fruk seen in EA Sports FC 27 Career Mode.

Toni Fruk is one to build your team around

© EA Sports

  • Position: CAM
  • OVR: 79
  • POT: 84
  • Age: 25
The 25-year-old Croatian is one of the better free agents if you’re looking to get cheap players that you can build your team around for many years to come. Not only should he have a good few playing years left ahead of him, his base stats are all pretty good, with no real weaknesses outside of a lack of strength and tackling.
However, play him in his preferred CAM role, and you’ve got a player who can beat a man, outrun slower defenders and finish past the keeper easily. Plus, with a potential rating of 84, he has plenty of room to develop into a key player for a mid-level team’s front line.
09

James Rodríguez

James Rodríguez seen in EA Sports FC 27 Career Mode.

James Rodríguez is an oldie, but a goodie

© EA Sports

  • Position: CAM
  • OVR: 80
  • POT: 88
  • Age: 35
James Rodríguez still has excellent shooting, passing and dribbling stats that make him a decent option in the CAM or CM roles on your team. While he is technically listed as being playable in RW, his lack of pace (just 52 acceleration and 48 sprint speed) will make it difficult to beat faster defenders.
That being said, his 88 potential rating is unusually high for a 35-year-old player. Whether he’ll play for long enough to reach that level before retiring is another question, but his current stats already make him a useful signing. Even if you see some improvements in his OVR, he’s a great option for lower-league sides or those trying to avoid relegation in the top leagues at a push.
10

José Manuel López

José Manuel López seen in EA Sports FC 27 Career Mode.

José Manuel López is your archetypal big man up front

© EA Sports

  • Position: ST
  • OVR:79
  • POT: 82
  • Age: 25
José Manuel López is of the ‘big-man striker’ ilk. He’s 6ft 2in [1.88m] and has an 87 jumping stat and 78 in heading accuracy, making him an ideal target for balls into the box. He’s also got the key attributes for a poacher, with an 81 in positioning and 83 in finishing.
At 25, he’s a striker who can grow with your team and has the potential to become a reliable option in front of goal as his rating develops towards 82.

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Memphis Depay

Corinthians footballer Memphis Depay regularly terrorises defences and is the all-time leading goalscorer for the Netherlands.

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