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10 of FIFA 19’s best bargains from La Liga 2
Spain’s second tier offers some affordable gems for FIFA 19 managers without much cash to spend. Here are our picks of the best.
If your FIFA 19 Career Mode team is operating on a tight budget, scouring the lower leagues for recently relegated stars or up-and-coming young talent can be a smart way to strengthen your squad without splashing out on big transfer fees or wages.
With that in mind, we’ve picked out 10 players from Spain’s Segunda División who either have the potential to play at the top level or are already good enough to do so.
The prices quoted are those we’ve managed to settle on in the game, but FIFA 19’s transfer market isn’t an exact science, so they might vary slightly for you. If necessary, you can usually strike better deals by adding in sell-on clauses.
FIFA 19’s best La Liga 2 bargains
© EA Sports
1. RM: Federico Cartabia (RC Deportivo)
Like a certain other Argentine who plys his trade in Spain, Deportivo’s Fede Cartabia was born in Rosario and is only 1.7m tall – although the 25-year-old will set you back significantly less than the chap who plays in Barcelona. Just over €15m should be enough to convince Dépor to let him leave and for that you get someone who’s happy playing anywhere behind a striker but prefers to come in from the right, using his dribbling skills and 90-rated balance to get past players before making use of his 75-rated crossing and finishing. He might lack strength (34) but he makes up for it in aggression (80).
2. ST: Borja Valle (RC Deportivo)
Quique might’ve scored more goals for Dépor this season, but Borja Valle has also chipped in with his fair share. Listed as a striker, he's better suited either coming in from out wide or playing with another, more physical targetman. His 79 rating for both positioning and finishing means he’s good at finding both spaces and the back of the net, while 77 for dribbling and 76 for ball control allow him to create chances for himself as well. There’s a release clause of just over €14m in his contract, but an offer of around €9m should give you the opportunity to discuss terms.
3. GK: Diego Mariño (Sporting Gijón)
Diego Mariño has spent a lot of his career on the books of top-flight clubs and with an overall rating of 76 it’s not hard to see why. Gijón’s first choice between the sticks has a solid range of ‘keeping stats, including 79 for reflexes, 76 for diving, and 73 for both handling and positioning. At 28 years old, he’s still got plenty of years left in him and there’s even a chance he could improve by one point overall too. Sporting won’t make you pay his €10m release clause, but you’ll have to get quite close. Just over €8m should do the job.
4. LB: Federico Ricca (Málaga)
A lot of full-backs are either good going forward or without the ball, but not both. Málaga’s Federico Ricca bucks that trend. With 73 for crossing, the Uruguayan can put in a decent ball if he gets up the pitch, but with 76 for both sliding tackles and interceptions, 75 for standing tackles and 74 for marking, he doesn’t neglect his defensive duties. A stamina rating of 78 keeps him going for the full 90 minutes and, while 72 for acceleration and 71 for sprint speed aren’t going to help him catch up with the most fleet-footed wingers, he’s not exactly slow either. An offer in the region of €8m will make the 23-year-old yours and with the potential to reach 80 overall he’ll soon command a lot more than that.
5. CM: Edu Expósito (RC Deportivo)
Spain is home to many tidy technicians who keep the ball moving in midfield. One of the most promising in La Liga 2 is Deportivo’s Edu Expósito. The 21-year-old is rated 73 overall at the moment but with 77 for vision, 75 for both short passing and dribbling, and 73 for long passing, it’s clear his strengths lie in keeping possession for his team until the killer opportunity presents itself. Where he’s lacking right now is in stamina (54), so you’ll need to work on that, but his age means that he still has plenty of time to get a lot better, with a potential rating of 80 overall. An offer of around €8m should be enough to tempt him away.
FIFA 19’s best La Liga 2 bargains
© EA Sports
6. CB: Luís Hernández (Malaga)
Experienced defender Luís Hernández has caught the eye of some top-division clubs before, most notably when Leicester City signed him the season after their unexpected title triumph, but things didn’t work out in the Premier League for the hard-working centre-back. With 78 for both interceptions and sliding tackles, 83 for jumping, 76 for marking and 75 for standing tackles, he’s clearly got the defensive attributes to play at a higher level, plus his giant throw-in makes him an unexpected threat in the final third as well. At 29 years old he’s not getting any better, but with an overall rating of 75 and a price tag of just over €6m, he’ll make a solid addition to a lot of back lines.
7. CDM: Pedro Mosquera (RC Deportivo)
At 30 years old, Pedro Mosquera is unlikely to stick around for too many more seasons, but the former Real Madrid man still has plenty to offer at the base of your midfield. With 75 and 74 for short and long passing respectively, he’s more than capable of starting attacks, but 76 for both interceptions and aggression, 74 for standing tackles and 75 for marking means he can also break up those of your opponents as well. With 83 for stamina, his age hasn’t affected his ability to play 90 minutes either, although with sprint speed of 35 and acceleration of 64, he’s hardly got the energy of N'Golo Kanté. Stump up around €4.5m to make him yours.
8. CB: Jorge Sáenz (CD Tenerife)
Jorge Sáenz is off to Valencia for the 2019/2020 season but as far as FIFA 19 is concerned he’s still a Tenerife player, which means you can pick him up for the bargain price of around €3.5m. That gets you a 1.92m centre-back whose current standout stats are physical: 84 for stamina, 80 for jumping and 78 for strength, but with the potential to reach 82 overall, the 21-year-old is a very solid investment for the future. 70 for short passing suggests he’ll be comfortable with the ball at his feet, while 71 for standing tackles, 70 for marking and the same for aggression give you a good base from which to train.
9. CB: Jean-Sylvain Babin (Sporting Gijón)
Gijón’s Jean-Sylvain Babin is 31 years old, so won’t appeal to anybody looking to build a dynasty, but with his contract expiring at the end of the season he can be picked up for just over €3m. Considering some of his stats, that makes him worth a look for teams attempting to strengthen or add depth on the cheap. He’s a formidable opponent for opposition attackers to get the better of, with 88 for strength, 80 for stamina, 76 for standing tackles and 74 for marking, while 76 for jumping and 79 for heading accuracy makes him a threat at the other end of the pitch too. 87 for shot power makes his free-kicks a real weapon as well.
10. CAM: Alberto Soro (Real Zaragoza)
At just 19 years old, and with an overall rating of 68, Alberto Soro isn’t going to slot straight into too many starting 11s, but his potential makes him one of the most promising players in La Liga 2. Rumoured to be on the radar of Barcelona, the attacking midfielder already shows potential in his agility and balance, while his passing, ball control and positioning are also looking promising. That low current rating means Zaragoza will take less than €2m for him, despite a €4.25m release clause, but with the potential to reach 82 overall, he’ll eventually pay that back many times over.
