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: Darwin Núñez (Benfica – £30,000,000)

This is a big money signing for sure, valued with a sell-price of around £30million, but what you get in return is one of the most exciting young strikers around with some huge stats and potential. First up, the Uruguayan is over 6 foot tall, has some great physical attributes and in particular has blistering pace, with 18 in acceleration, 17 in pace and work rate and 16 in stamina. This is undoubtably his biggest strength, and plenty of room to grow and develop. His finishing and technique leaves a little to to be desired, however at only 21 he could seriously develop into a top talent. In the real footballing world, comparisons have been made to Cavani with the obvious Uruguay link, and his potential, pace and slight versatility means he could be a real gem for the top sides.

Medium Money: Giorgi Mamardashvili (Valencia – £3,500,000)

Having just joined Spanish side Valencia in December, the 20 year old Georgian keeper has some amazing ability and potential to nab early into a save. Valued at anywhere between £1million-£10million depending on when you make a move for the player, at such a young age, your goalkeeping conundrum’s could be resolved instantly for the entire save, with 10-15 years of potential first team goalkeeping from Mamardashvili. He will start the game on loan at Valencia which could create a potential issue, however if you are able to jump in and grab the player, or arrange a transfer at the end of his loan (and before Valencia moved in real life), you are getting a football manager gem. With his highest stats in handling, kicking, reflexes and jump reach, he has some great starting stats which is maximised through training and development on the game could push him to one of the top keepers around. He has so much room for growth, great foundations to build on, and at a reasonable price which would be accessible for Championship and above.

Little Money: Jimmy Spencer (Farsley Celtic – £20,000)

Our final selection is another of our own personal selections from the current save we are undertaking. After starting a save unemployed, Farsley Celtic were the only team to take a punt on our virtual manager, and although financially strapped, had one shining light in the form of 29 year old striker Jimmy Spencer. Although not the youngest talent to develop and nurture through the game, Spencer is an instant goalscorer for a team in the real depths of club football, as Farsley were battling relegation from the Vanarama National League North, Jimmy Spencer netted 20 goals in my first season to avoid the drop and definite relegation. I would highly recommend a striker like this for any National League side as his price is incredibly affordable, and for part-time sides, he will get goals at this lower division level instantly. While temptation always remains to grab a young loanee from a bigger club, having an experienced striker like Spencer will fit National League North and South sides perfectly. Stats-wise, he offers some decent attributes, with 13s in first touch, work rate and balance, while having 12s in various other elements such as finishing, technique, teamwork and fitness. Great all-round stats for a very affordable price, meaning he is a must-buy for many clubs/divisions.