FIFA 14 | Lower League Gems (summer) – Centre backs


Well it took a while, but I’ve finally been able to update the FIFA 14 Lower League Gems series for summer! If you want promising players for an absolute bargain, you’re in the right place.

If you’re not sure what these articles are all about, click the bold link below. Otherwise, let’s get straight in to the recommendations.

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These articles aim to highlight young, high potential players that are priced at £1m or less. If a player is not available to buy straight away, their maximum price (in the ‘Cost’ column; see below) is £500,000. Most articles will showcase players with a minimum potential of 77 (although in some cases having a minimum potential of 78 brought back more than enough players).

This year I made a couple of exceptions to the price rules. I have included players whose clubs want £1.1m for them (as opposed to a maximum price of £1m) because you can negotiate this down to under £1m, and in some cases excluding these players meant to articles were lacking players you could actually buy straight away! For the same reason I have bumped the £500,000 rule up to just under £600,000 (e.g. £525,000, £575,000, etc).

The ‘Cost’ column refers to the price your scout will bring back after he’s looked at the player. The ‘They want’ column refers to the price you will be quoted by the team if you enquire about their player. These enquiry prices are negotiable, so don’t be afraid to bid below what they want.

The ‘Avai?’ column is short for ‘Available?’ and refers to whether the player is available to buy in the first transfer window. The first letter indicates this (Y for yes, they are available and N for no, they are not), whilst the number refers to the length of their contract. Y/1 means the player’s contract is about to expire, so you should be able to get them for a discount price.

Finally, because EA release update squads every week, this could mean that some of the players listed in the article below are slightly different on your game. Furthermore, players sometimes exceed their potential, while it has been noted that occasionally players don’t grow as hoped. Therefore these stats are a guide only.

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These are the centre backs I recommend:

  • Jonathan Tah
  • John Souttar
  • Rúben Vezo
  • Shaun Hutchinson

My first recommendation is Jonathan Tah. This guy’s only 17 at the start of a career but already he has 85 strength, meaning he can compete with even the strongest forwards already. He has excellent tackling and shouldn’t let you down in that department despite his young age, and with 83 potential he’s going to go on and become a superb defender. With 67 sprint speed he’s certainly not slow for a centre back, and this should increase into the 70s and give you a chance to neutralise quick counter attacks. You can’t get him straight away, but try a bid in January for this excellent player.

John Souttar is up next, and he’s probably the most cultured, all-round centre back you’re likely to find. Starting in the high 60s, two of his best attributes are his strength and pace, which should make him and excellent physical defender as he grows. Unusually for a centre back, his dribbling, ball control and passing are as good as his tackling and heading, so by the time he gets near his potential you should be able to slot him into central midfield or even full back if you need him to fill a gap. This flexibility makes him a real asset, and you can get him for around £500,000.

My third pick is Rúben Vezo. While Souttar offered flexibility going forward, Vezo excels across a whole range of stats defensively. His strength (81), jumping (80) and heading (71) will enable him to dominate both your own and the opposition box, while his tackling and marking stats are all excellent for his OVR. He’s got a decent amount of pace and can read the game very well, so he should be able to cut out opposition passes and stop their attacks before they become too dangerous. He’s not available straight away but is definitely one you should consider if you’re looking for someone who can do it all.

Finally we’ve got Shaun Hutchinson. Although Motherwell actually ask for £1.6m, because he’s 23 and his contract is expiring you can get him for free if you bid for him in January. When the time comes, just press the “sign on contract expiry” option and he’ll join your team for free at the end of the year. By that time his OVR should be in the early 70s and you’ll only be paying £6,000 for his services, an amazing bargain. What’s more, his strength (91) and sprint speed (75) were both the highest of any player on this list, an excellent combination that will make him an essential part of your back line. He’s even got three star skills should you wish to trick your way out of the back… although I don’t really recommend that!

Check out the list in full below:

[table id=123 /]
Have you tried any of these centre backs in your career? Is there a centre back not in this article that you’d thoroughly recommend? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

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