In case you haven’t heard, Football Manager 2020 is currently free to play.Yep, that’s right: FREE!For the next week - up until next Wednesday, March 25 - the latest version of Football Manager can be downloaded and played free of charge on Steam.This gesture has come at the perfect time due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has led to people across the UK - and, indeed, the world - social distancing and self-isolating.Schools in the UK will also be closed indefinitely from Friday onwards, so no doubt many youngsters will also be all over this opportunity to manage their favourite teams and players.
- Football Manager 2020 is made free to play
- Footballer loan spells you've forgotten all about
- Top 25 most valuable squads in Europe named
Hours after announcing that FM20 was free to play, Miles Jacobson (head of SI Games, the company behind Football Manager) tweeted: “So this has gone down well - over 100,000 people currently playing FM20 via Steam!!!!!!
“But a reminder for those who work from home. The game will be there for you when your shift has finished. Don't want us to be blamed for a drop in productivity! Keep safe everyone x”
If you’re one of the people who has just downloaded FM20, or plans to, then you’ve come to the right place.
talkSPORT - via FMScout.com - have published a list of 45 wonderkids on the game that you should seriously consider signing when you start a new game.
Let’s begin…
Hamed Junior Traore (Sassuolo)
Position: MC/AMC
Value: £8.75million
Arne Maier (Hertha Berlin)
Position: DM/MC
Value: £4.1million
Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen)
Position: DM/MC
Value: £9.75million
Riqui Puig (Barcelona)
Position: M/AMC
Value: £5.75million
Mickael Cuisance (Bayern Munich)
Position: DM/MC/AMC
Value: £5.75million
Pietro Pellegri (Monaco)
Position: STC
Value: £1million
Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo)
Position: STC/AML
Value: £1.4million
Agustin Almendra (Boca Juniors)
Position: MRC
Value: £1.9million
Ilaix Moriba (Barcelona)
Position: MC
Value: £725,000
Harvey Elliott (Liverpool)
Position: AMR/L
Value: £850,000
Jean-Clair Todibo (Barcelona – on loan at Schalke)
Position: CB/DM
Value: £8.5million
Martin Odegaard (Real Madrid – on loan at Real Sociedad)
Position: MC/AMC
Value: £27million
Mohammed Ihattaren (PSV Eindhoven)
Position: AMRLC
Value: £4.9million
Max Aarons (Norwich)
Position: Right-back
Value: £18.75million
Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
Position: STC
Value: £35.5million
Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus)
Position: CB
Value: £34.5million
Troy Parrott (Tottenham)
Position: STC
Value: £7million
Rober (Real Betis)
Position: AMR
Value: £45,000
Ansu Fati (Barcelona)
Position: AMRLC/STC
Value: £3.4million
Alessio Riccardi (Roma)
Position: MC/AMC
Value: £400,000
Myron Boadu (AZ Alkmaar)
Position: STC
Value: £8.5million
Sebastiano Esposito (Inter Milan)
Position: STC
Value: £4million
Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan)
Position: GK
Value: £29million
Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea)
Position: AMRLC
Value: £25million
Matteo Guendouzi (Arsenal)
Position: DM/MC
Value: £24million
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Position: DR/WB
Value: £52million
Rayan Cherki (Lyon)
Position: AMLC
Value: £175,000
Naci Unuvar (Ajax)
Position: AMLC
Value: £175,000
Thiago Almada (Velez Sarsfield)
Position: AMC
Value: £2.5million
Hannibal Mejbri (Manchester United)
Position: MC/AMC
Value: £450,000
Amine Gouiri (Lyon)
Position: STC
Value: £1.5million
Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
Position: AML
Value: £22.5million
Rodrygo (Real Madrid)
Position: AML/STC
Value: £6million
Emanuel Vignato (Chievo)
Position: AMRC
Value: £900,000
Sergio Gomez (Borussia Dortmund – on loan at Huesca)
Position: MC/AMC/AML
Value: £2million
Phil Foden (Man City)
Position: AMC
Value: £34.5million
Fiete Arp (Bayern Munich)
Position: STC
Value: £2million
Fabio Silva (Porto)
Position: STC
Value: £1.5million
Florentino Luis (Benfica)
Position: DM/MC
Value: £9.25million
Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund)
Position: AMRL
Value: £43.5million
Mason Greenwood (Manchester United)
Position: AMR/STC
Value: £20million
Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen)
Position: MC/AMC
Value: £38million
Pedri (Barcelona – on loan at Las Palmas)
Position: MC/AMRLC
Value: £775,000
Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid)
Position: AMLC/STC
Value: £30million
Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
Position: AMRL/STC
Value: £86million
There are some absolute bargains in that list, to be fair.
Riqui Puig is one of Barcelona’s most highly-rated youngsters and is available for less than £6 million, while his teammate Ansu Fati can be signed for even less than that. Madness.
Manchester United’s 17-year-old midfielder Hannibal Mejbri appears to have a very bright future ahead of him, too. For less than £500,000, he could be an absolute steal.
If you have a bit more cash to spend then £27 million-rated Martin Odegaard, who has been superb this season, should definitely be towards to the top of your transfer wish-list.
And if you’re at a super club with unlimited funds then you should consider cheeky bids for the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Erling Haaland and perhaps even Kylian Mbappe.
So, what are you waiting for? Go sign some of these gems and turn your team into champions!