FIFA 14 | Best Free Transfers – Defensive midfielders


FIFA 14 best free transfers - defensive midfielders

What better way to try something new before FIFA 15 hits the shelves than delve into the free transfer market? There are tons of high quality players out there that you don’t even need to pay a fee for, provided you make a move for them at the right time. If you’ve never tried it before you’re in luck, because I’m here to guide you through the best free transfers in FIFA 14, position by position.

How do I get players for free in FIFA 14?

It’s actually really straightforward to purchase players for free in FIFA 14 – at least, once you know who you’re looking for. They just need to be aged 23 or over when the January transfer window rolls around, and must have less than a year left on their contract (i.e. it will expire at the end of the season).

If you’ve identified the player you want, find them using the ‘Search Players’ option in the Transfer tab, click on them then click ‘Approach to sign on contract expiry’. You then just need to offer them a contract and wait a few days to see if they accept. If they do, they will join your team at the end of the season.

That’s the easy bit – the hard part is finding players who match those criteria. You can send your scout to find players in a certain country who have a year left on their contract and are 23 or older, but if you don’t have a very good scout you may not find many matching players.

Luckily I’ve done the heavy lifting for you. Simply browse the list below or have a look at the other articles in this series and decide who you want to go for, then follow my steps above to get them to join your squad. All the players in these articles will have a minimum potential of 75, so you know you’ll be getting quality for a fantastic price.

The OVRs listed here are true for the start of a career. When the player joins you the next year it is highly likely these will be different, as they can grow (or decline) during their first season. This can be great if they grow a lot, but just be aware that any player over the age of about 30 may well be worse than you expect when they arrive.

Let’s have a look at the defensive midfielders I want to recommend.

Recommendations

The elite option

Sebastian Rode

I’ve chosen two players for the elite option because they’re both so good: Sebastian Rode and Bibras Natkho; I’ll start with Rode. Go for him if you’re looking for an engine in the middle of the pitch who will chase down opponents and constantly win possession back for your team. His 90 stamina and high pace will see him cover every blade of grass, while his exceptional tackling and interceptions mean it will take something special to get past him. He can pass as well, so not only will he break up attacks but he can start them as well. An excellent all-rounder.

If, on the other hand, you want a CDM who can act as a deep-lying playmaker and kick start your attacks, Natkho is the one for you. His 83 vision, 81 short passing and 82 long passing will make him the brain of your team who dictates play and orchestrates your attacks. He’s got excellent dribbling, stamina and long shots, and while his tackling isn’t as good as Rode’s, his interceptions are superb. Pair him with a tough-tackling CDM (or Rode, in fact) for a sublime midfield partnership.

The mid-range option

Alexander Mejía

Alexander Mejía is my mid-range choice, although with wages of £5,000 he’ll be affordable to many lower league teams as well. Like Rode he has superb strength, but he’s also got 79 strength, so can hold his own in midfield. He excels at tackling, passing and interceptions, so if you’re looking for a midfield enforcer you should give him some serious consideration.

If you’re looking for a similar player with slightly better stats, try Alexander Tettey. The reason I didn’t put him down as my first choice is that he starts aged 27, so he’ll be 28 by the time he arrives. You’ll therefore only really get about a season out of him before he starts declining, which isn’t ideal.

The budget option

Amaral

My budget choice is Amaral. It seems faintly ridiculous that you can get a player rated 73 for just £750 a week, so if you’re a lower league team Amaral can be a godsend. He’s strong and powerful in the air, but he’s no slouch either, and has the pace and stamina to cover ground well. He’s strong when it comes to breaking up play and starting attacks, which will be invaluable lower down the divisions.

Thanks to his age he should arrive close to his potential, so don’t be surprised if you can get him to grow beyond 75 OVR and into the late 70s.


NOTE: Although Jonás Tizón is in the game, it seems impossible to find him. Searching his name, Venezuelan defensive midfielders or 25-year-old CDMs still brings up nothing, but I’ve decided to keep him in the article just in case someone manages to work out how exactly you’re supposed to find him! If you do, make sure you share your method in the comments below.

Furthermore, because Tizón is a free agent, I’ve left his wage and club entries blank. His wages will depend entirely on the team he is assigned to, as will his contract length. Although the game says he should have a one year contract, it doesn’t always work out that way, so he could have more than just a year left and therefore will be unavailable for a free transfer (if you can find him).

Finally, although I mentioned earlier that players have to be 23 to be eligible, there may be some entries in these articles whose age is 22. That’s because they start a career aged 22, but by the time January arrives they are 23 and can be signed for free.

If there is a 22-year-old whose date of birth (‘DOB’) is given in the Notes column, this is because you can only sign him on or after that date. So if a player has ‘DOB: 27 January’ in the Notes column, you can only move to sign him for free on or after 27 January.

Here’s the complete list:

[table id=137 /]
Have you tried any of these free defensive midfielders in your career? Is there a defensive midfielder not in this article that you’d thoroughly recommend? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

And don’t forget to follow FIFA Scouting Tips on Twitter and like the Facebook page for all the latest scouting tips and tricks!