Of all the many tactical changes and shifts that have been made in recent years, the adaptation of the striker role has been one of the most interesting and drastic. Previously, strikers were tasked with little more than one thing: putting the ball into the back of the net. This is almost entirely what strikers would be judged upon, and they would often have little to no involvement in their team’s build-up or defense. Today, however, most teams expect their striker(s) to be fully involved in the build-up of attacks and in defense through either high pressing or by dropping deep.
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Consequently, findinghigh-quality strikersat a low cost can be a real challenge today, as those who have adapted well to the modern game have already been snapped up by other teams or are only available at eye-watering prices. Thankfully, there are a handful of budget options inFootball Manager 22that can lead the line for a team at a cut price.
5Joelinton
When Joelinton joined Newcastle on asix-year deal for a club-record feeand was handed the club’s legendary number nine shirt that was formerly worn by Alan Shearer, there were huge expectations that the Brazilian would spearhead the side’s attack and carry them up the league table. Unfortunately, this hasn’t happened. Joelinton has struggled to make an impact inthe Premier League, and Newcastle United has placed the forward on the transfer list.
This negativity surrounding Joelinton may make him sound like an odd choice for this list. However, Joelinton is transfer-listed for just $7.4m, which is a fraction of what the English side paid for him. Moreover, Joelinton still has some excellent stats, and there’s a very good chance that a top manager could help the 25-year-old finally reach his full potential.
Joelinton isn’t a guaranteed success, but he’s low-risk at $7.4m and could become an invaluable player outside of the Premier League.
4Alfredo Morelos
Alfredo Morelos is a Columbian striker who currently plays for the Scottish side Rangers, where he is predominantly known for two things: his prolific goalscoring and his fiery temper, which contributed to his whopping five red cards in just one season back in 2018-2019. At the time of writing, Morelos has 105 goals in 207 appearances for Rangers, which would usually be enough to see the player move to one of Europe’s top leagues. However, this move hasn’t happened yet, likely due to his disciplinary record.
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Morelos has an Aggression stat of 18 inFootball Manager 22, which could cause problems on the pitch. However, Morelos' goalscoring recorded makes him a tantalizing option, especially considering that Rangers are only likely to ask for around $12m for him. For managers who think they can keep Morelos' rash tackling under control, he could be an incredible budget signing.
3Facundo Colidio
Facundo Colidio is the cheapest option on this list, as Inter Milan is only likely to charge around $500k for their young striker. Although Colidio is still quite a raw talent, at the age of just 21, he still has plenty of time to flourish into a well-rounded striker.
The Argentinian’s main strength is his Off The Ball stat of 15, which makes the striker elusive in the box, and effective at getting on the end of crosses. Unfortunately, teams will only get the best out of this trait if they instruct their wide players to deliver low crosses, as Colidio’s has a Heading stat of just 9. Although this can be worked onin the training ground, managers will need to keep this in mind when signing him.
Despite his shortcomings, Colidio is still a fantastic budget signing. For teams with cash to spare, it may be worth signing Colidio then immediately sending him out on loan. For teams with tighter budgets, it’s worth noting that the player is loan listed by Inter, giving sides the chance to try before they buy.
2Moussa Dembele
From the cheapest option on this list to the most expensive, Moussa Dembele is likely to cost around $15m, which will put him out of many teams' price range. However, Moussa Dembele still qualifies for this list, as he is undoubtedly a budget option fortop sides with money to spend, especially considering that teams were reportedly considering spending around $60m on him just a couple of seasons ago.
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Dembele started his professional career at Fulham before moving to Celtic and then Lyon. Everywhere that Dembele has played, he has been one of the team’s stand-out players and has consistently found the back of the net. Dembele did, however, have a blip last season, which is why his price has dropped so drastically. Still, the French striker has an excellent range of stats that could see him become the starting striker for any team in the world.
1Simone Zaza
Unfortunately for Zaza, the Italian is best-known today for his infamous penalty miss against Germany in Euro 2016, where he took a bizarrely long run-up before blasting the ball over the bar. Looking past this, however, Zaza is a fantastic option for those looking for a modern, hard-working striker that will press from the front and fight to win the ball back.
The Italian isn’t the most prolific goalscorer by any means, but forgegenpressing teamsthat play with a front two or with two inside forwards either side of him, Zaza is a steal at around $8m for his ability to win the ball and start attacks high up the pitch.
Football Manager 22is out now for PC, Xbox, and Mobile.
