FIFA 14 | So You Want A… Left back


Completing the full backs articles, we’re going to have a look at cheap, high potential left backs in FIFA 14.

Here’s a few I’ve picked out:

  • Luke Shaw
  • Jetro Willems
  • Saliou Ciss

Luke Shaw is a name I’m sure many FIFA players will recognise, and it’s no surprise I’ve picked him out here. I’m actually not too sure why he’s only rated 72 – he has fantastic pace, great defending stats, he can tackle, he can do it all. Added to that, he is strong (strength 77), can run all day and has a dribbling stat approaching 80, and with him you’ve got a pretty complete package. His price of £6m is misleading, as Southampton will accept a bid in the region of £3.5m for this future superstar.

Second is another familiar name, Jetro Willems. In some ways Willems is more exciting than Shaw – four star skills and weak foot, 90 stamina, a powerful shot and great all round passing. Although he’s not quite as quick as Shaw, he is still very pacey and has good strength to boot. Another great all round package, yours for around £4m.

My final main recommendation is Saliou Ciss. Like the other two, he has that great combination of pace and strength, although he takes it further – 87 acceleration, 84 sprint speed and 84 strength. With a jumping stat of 90 thrown into the mix, he’s going to be a pretty formidable obstacle for opposition wingers. You can’t get him straight away, but if you want a full back who will be all but impossible to pass, he’s your man.

It’s also worth giving a quick mention to a couple of others – Ronan of Fluminense and Gayà of Valencia CF. Ronan is perfect if you’re on a budget, as you shouldn’t have to pay more than £250,000 for him, a fantastic price for a player who can reach 80 and above. What stood out about Gayà is some of his attacking stats go way beyond what you’d expect for his OVR – 74 crossing, 71 ball control, 86 balance and lightning pace mean you get much more for your money than other players with similar OVRs.

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The articles in this series should give you some ideas if you’re looking for a new signing in a key area. There is one article for each position on the pitch to make it easy for you to quickly find players to bolster your squad.

All of the players given here have a minimum potential of 80, so you know you’re getting quality. The maximum OVR for each player is 73, both to keep transfer prices down and to avoid presenting you with too many options and thus making it too difficult to choose the player you need.

The ‘Avai?’ column is short for ‘available?’ and refers both to whether or not you can buy the specified player at the start of the first season and how long their current contract is. Let’s take Y/2 as an example – Y means that yes, you can buy him at the start of a new career, and the number means he has two years left on his contract. Similarly, N/3 would mean that no, you can’t buy the player straight away, and he has three years left on his contract. These ‘no’ players are often available for transfer if you wait until the January transfer window, however. For some players this column is blank – this means that they are out on loan at the start and are therefore unavailable for purchase until the second season.

Initial player costs may seem very low this year. The figure in the player cost column refers to the price you are given if you scout the player. But I’ve also added a new column this time round – ‘They want’. This refers to the price the other team want for the player if you enquire about him. Often there is a large difference between the player cost obtained through scouting and that obtained through an enquiry. This leaves a lot of room for negotiation, so don’t be put off if a price in the ‘They want’ column is high, as you can usually get the player for much less. Try bidding lower than what you think will be accepted – you may be surprised at their response. If the ‘They want’ column is blank it’s because the team refused to give a price, either because the player has just joined them or because they are loaning him in.

And as a final note, in FIFA 14 EA update player OVRs and potentials every week. Mose of the time these are very minor changes, and most players won’t be affected at all unless they have had a very noteworthy week. Furthermore, some players occasionally disappear if they have been put in the reserve squad that week. So just bear in mind that these figures should be read as a guide only and not a definitive account of player costs, potentials, etc, for the entire season.[/expand]

The complete list is below:

[table id=87 /]

And don’t forget to check out the other articles in this series by going to the ‘So You Want A…’ button in the top menu!