With the release of Football Manager 2022, every man and his dog is on the hunt for those bargain buys, and everyone thinks they’ve uncovered the next Messi on their sofa on a Tuesday afternoon, and we’re no different. There are hundreds of ‘bargain buys’, ‘wonderkid signings’ and ‘superstar watchlists’ and so we are jumping well and truly on that bandwagon to start a new series of posts and creating our own FM22 watchlist for the season.

In the posts, we will highlight 3 potential signings, 1 bargain buy for a lower league side, 1 medium priced player for the Championship/League 1 level and a signing for the ‘big spenders’ of the top-divisions.

We are making notes of every player we like the look of through playing the game and our online research, however if you have uncovered a real gem, please feel free to let us know over on Twitter (@NextGoalWinBlog) and we will be sure to feature them.

So, unroll the car window and tell Jim White these lot are ‘triffic…

Big Money: Alexander Isak (Real Sociedad – £40,000,000)

This is not a signing for the feint-hearted, and weak budgeted, however it could be the biggest signing you make and an almost guarantee of 100+ goals in a career. The Swedish striker is already being tipped to become his national teams’ new talismanic figure following the international retirement (and un-retirement) of Zlatan, and plying his trade at Real Sociedad means he could be ready to make the step up to one of Europe’s elite (no offense to Real Sociedad). In return for splashing the big money, you will receive a 21 year old striker who can play in just about any role or position in attack, can play as part of a 3, or ideally as the main target man given his height. With plenty of potential and opportunity to build on his already impressive skill and stats, he would be the perfect striker for most Champions League level sides who are needing a new figurehead or an alternative to the goal machines of Haaland, Mbappe etc.

Medium Money: Paulinho (Free Agent – £0)

Although being valued at £0 given his free agent status, he is still listed as a medium money player, as the wage issue could become problematic, while Paulinho will need at least a mid-level Championship side or higher to come in for him given his reputation and level. Having made over 50 appearances for his Brazilian national side, and featuring for the likes of Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur and Corinthians in his career so far, the box-to-box midfielder is capable of bagging a goal or 5 per season minimum, while being only 33 years old, he could easily feature for at least 3 more years in a rotation role. A real gem of experience and talent could be a great addition for many Championship level sides, or even relegation battling Premier League level clubs. With agility, teamwork, off the ball, determination, decisions and anticipation all being rated 15 or higher, his stats are perfect for the role he would be asked to fulfil. As arguably the highest rated free agent on the game, it will be a signing to make from the offing, as I would imagine several clubs will look to snap him up in the first few weeks.

Little Money: Layton Stewart (Liverpool – £100,000+)

At quite a high value for the ‘little money’ section, the 17 year old Liverpool striker could be one to invest in for up to 15 years +, however it could be a potential loan move that would be preferable for many lower league sides. With wages of under £1,000 he could easily fit into the budget of most sides, and if able to sign up for a season long loan, he could really develop into a star striker for most lower league sides. In all honesty, I have little real life information on the youngster as at just 17, he is not a key feature of the first team setup, however his stats for fm22 make pretty good reading. With fitness at 15, and his finishing, heading, first touch and acceleration at 12/20, he could really develop quickly and grow his stats significantly in the opening season or two. My advice would be to instantly look for a loan move for Stewart, then either renew the loan or turn it into a permanent move when the finances are right. This lad ticks all the boxes for a gem signing on football manager, youth, goalscoring potential and cheap. Get it done.