Real Madrid's Carvajal is well worth a buy
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FIFA 16 Career Mode: 10 must-buy defenders

Having trouble keeping the ball out of the back of your net? Check out our list of stout defenders.
Written by Pete Dreyer
7 min readPublished on
If there’s one thing football pundits across the world keep drumming into our heads, it’s this – defending is an art form. EA has bought into that in recent years as well, by revamping FIFA’s defending mechanics to make it far more interesting than just hammering on the tackle button.
Granted, there hasn’t been a lot of that ‘art’ on display across the world's top leagues over the last couple of years, but there are some masterful defenders out there in FIFA 16 Career Mode, just waiting to come and solve your defensive problems.
We’ve already helped to plug your holes in attack and midfield, so it’s only right that we line up a few transfers to help you take control at the back as well. Defenders come in many shapes, sizes and styles, from fear-inducing hardmen to pacey attack-minded full-backs, but we’ve got just about anything you could want covered in our list below. Take a look!

Centre-backs

Raphaël Varane

Varane has blossomed into one of the best young centre-backs in the world at Real Madrid, and his 82 overall and 89 potential ratings reflect that in this year’s Career Mode. He’s a fantastic all-round defender right out of the gate, but his 79 pace rating makes him particularly formidable at the back, as he can keep up with all but the very quickest strikers and even wingers if he gets dragged out of position. Give him a few years, and he’ll grow into a world-class player, holding steady in the middle of your back line for the next decade.

Marquinhos

Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian centre-back is as just as highly regarded as Varane in real life, and though he’s rated slightly below the Frenchman in FIFA 16 Career Mode, he’s still an excellent signing for your defence. Marquinhos isn’t the strongest of centre backs, but he makes up for that as an excellent technical, ball-carrying defender. His tackling and interceptions are both excellent even at the very beginning of your career, and his passing is good enough to set off counterattacks, too. Sign him up, give him some time in the first team and he’ll grow from an 81 to an 87 overall. Not too shabby.

Aymeric Laporte

Laporte is a nice mixture of current and potential ability. At 83 overall, he’ll slot nicely into virtually any first XI you could have at the beginning of the game, but he’s only 21 and he’s got plenty of growth in him too. His 72 pace isn’t the quickest, but Laporte’s 86 defending stat makes him a force to be reckoned with, especially when you consider that he can reach a whopping 87 overall with a bit of time on the pitch. He’s even a half decent free kick taker, if you need someone to take charge of your dead ball situations.
FIFA 16 Career Mode: 10 must-buy defenders

FIFA 16 Career Mode: 10 must-buy defenders

© EA Sports

Mats Hummels

If you’re looking for someone to come in and do a world-class job straight away, we’d go for Hummels. You could go for Jérôme Boateng – a year older and one point better than Hummels – but we like the big German from Dortmund for his defensive stats; arguably the best in the game alongside Thiago Silva. Those stats include 91 interceptions, 90 heading, and 86+ marking, tackling and strength. He’s not a great ball carrier, and he’s a little bit slow, but Hummels is an absolute rock in the middle of your defence, and more than capable of keeping even the best strikers in the game under wraps.

Left-backs

David Alaba

The Austrian star has been pushing to play further up the pitch for Bayern Munich, but as long as FIFA think he’s a left-back, he’ll be the best left-back in the game for our money. It’ll take big money to prize him away from the German champions, but he’s worth every penny if you can afford him, with 86 pace, and dribbling, defending and passing stats over 80 too. If anything, his shooting is rather underrated and as if that wasn’t enough, he grows into a quality free kick taker, too. Oh, and he’s only 23, with a potential rating of 88 overall. Our advice? Talk to the transfer committee and get out your chequebook.

Ricardo Rodríguez

Also 23 years old, Ricardo Rodríguez is a worthy budget alternative if you can’t afford Alaba, and though he’s made himself a key part of the first team at VfL Wolfsburg, you can nab him for a fairly modest fee. He’s not as quick or dangerous going forward as his Austrian counterpart, but Rodríguez is a very solid defender even at the beginning of your Career Mode game, as well as a dead ball specialist thanks to his 86 free kick and 82 curve. Get him up and down the left flank, and he’ll bang quality balls into the area with his 92 crossing stat. Plus, he’ll grow up to a tidy 87 overall if you give him enough games. Definitely worth a look.
FIFA 16 Career Mode: 10 must-buy defenders

FIFA 16 Career Mode: 10 must-buy defenders

© EA Sports

Jordi Alba

Widely regarded as one of the best left-backs in the world alongside Alaba, the two are separated by more than just a potential typo. Alba’s game is founded on three things – pace, pace and more pace. With 93 acceleration and 92 sprint speed, he’s quick enough to skin even the pacier wingers and midfielders in the game, setting up dangerous two-on-ones down the left flank. Not only that, he’s an engine up and down the sideline thanks to his 92 stamina stat, and he’s a good crosser of the ball too. Plus, his decent defending and passing stats still have time to grow – although he’s 26, he still has four points of growth up to a potential 88 overall rating.

Right-backs

Dani Carvajal

A product of Madrid’s famed youth ranks, Carvajal has been at the club since the age of 10, and after lighting up the Bundesliga in his one season with Bayer Leverkusen, he returned to Real Madrid to take his place in the first team. If you’re looking for a right-back with all-round ability, Carvajal is a fantastic signing. His 79 dribbling, 80 pace, 81 physical and 81 defending make him extremely capable in both attack and defence, and at 23 he’s got plenty of growth left too, from an 81 to an 85 overall rating.

Danilo

There’s a dearth of talented right-backs in this year’s FIFA, but it seems that Real Madrid have two of the best on their books. Not only is Carvajal plying his trade at the Santiago Bernabéu, but so is Danilo – who joined them last summer for over £22 million. Danilo started life as a central midfielder, so like Carvajal he’s a quality all-round footballer who can cover multiple positions. Although pacey, he’s not quite at Carvajal’s level at the start of your career mode, but he can grow to a potential 87 overall, at which point he’ll be one of the best right-backs in the game, with 80+ stats for every skill group.

Serge Aurier

Aurier has long been tipped to blossom into one of the best right-backs in the world, and FIFA 16 has finally recognised his potential after he made a permanent move to French champions Paris Saint-Germain last summer. Although the likes of Nathaniel Clyne and Matteo Darmian are more ready-made replacements for your side, Aurier has one major upside – potential. He’s only 22 years old, so he’ll grow at least five points from his 80 overall rating, and brings plenty of pace to the right hand side, starting with 84 acceleration and 85 sprint speed.
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