The best central midfielders to sign on Football Manager 2024

Do-it-all central midfielders have enjoyed a resurgence in recent years and there are plenty of top players available on Football Manager 2024.

Regardless of the budget you're working with, you can find real value as you seek to build a midfield that can take you to the next level.

Here are 90min's top picks for central midfielders to sign on FM24.

Cheap options

Adam Lallana
Brighton

A proper creative midfielder, Lallana is good enough for top teams, but you'll have to accept his age (35) and his tackling (9). Still, if you want a passer, he's great for £4.5m.

Giacomo Bonaventura
Fiorentina

Fiorentina will try and tie Bonaventura down to a new contract quickly but, if you move fast, you can snap him up for £3.5m.

Etienne Capoue
Villarreal

With 16 tackling and 15 passing, there's not a whole lot Capoue can't do. He's 35 and so can't be relied upon for too long, but if you want a short-term fix, this is an outrageous deal for £2.8m.

Ivan Rakitic
Sevilla

Another ageing option, Rakitic is among the best creative midfielders on the game. You'll need some big wages to land him but his £2.6m asking price should soften the blow.

Allan
Al-Wahda

Former Napoli and Everton man Allan is still an elite defender with 18 tackling, but his 15 passing is also higher than you might remember. Another excellent deal at £4.2m.

90min recommends

Alvaro Fidalgo
America

At just £500,000, you won't find better value than Fidalgo, who is the perfect attack-minded midfielder if you can cope with his 6 tackling. Whether you want him long-term or you're planning to sell him for an enormous profit, this is the signing for you.

Miralem Pjanic
Sharjah

Former Barcelona and Juventus man Pjanic is still only 33 years old and still has a good few years left to enjoy his 18 passing. £2.5m will get you the veteran's signature.

Oscar Trejo
Vallecano

Trejo, another 35-year-old, is all about passing. If that's your type of signing, he's a serious bargain at just £750,000.

Andres Guardado
Real Hispalis

36-year-old Guardado is a bargain signing every year, and things are no different this time around. At £1.1m, he's a great option for smaller sides.

Fernando
Sevilla

A nice, well-rounded option who can do it all, Fernando is great value for £2.2m.

Reasonable options

Dani Parejo
Villarreal

One of the best deep-lying playmakers out there, 34-year-old Parejo looks excellent with 18 passing and 17 vision. You won't get many years out of him but, at £10.5m, that's not a massive problem.

Ismael Bennacer
AC Milan

With 16 passing and 16 tackling, Bennacer is genuinely elite. He's good enough for any side on the game and his asking price of £18m is a steal, but he's currently sidelined for several months with a nasty injury that means you'll have to be patient if you want him.

Marten de Roon
Atalanta

Atalanta are selling some real bargains but £9m for De Roon is among the best on offer. He's more of a defensive option but, if that's your style, you really can't go wrong.

Claudinho
Zenit

26-year-old Claudinho is all about the attack, so much so that he can even play as a winger. If you want that sort of player, his asking price of £14m is great.

Kevin Kampl
RB Leipzig

Kampl brings 16 passing and a cheap asking price of £8.25m. What more could you ask for?

90min recommends

Wendel
Zenit

Wendel may not be an elite player just yet, but at 25, he's worth far more than his current £9m price tag. The Zenit star already has 16 passing and will be a top-tier creator if you help him reach his potential.

Idrissa Gueye
Everton

18 tackling makes Gueye a real defensive powerhouse. He won't fit into every team, but if that suits you, he's yours for a cool £10m.

Rade Krunic
AC Milan

Krunic can play anywhere in your midfield, such is his versatile skillset. That quality is worth more than his £9.5m price tag.

Mario Pasalic
Atalanta

Pasalic starts the game on the transfer list for £9.5m but that figure drops with each passing week, so if you want to play the risky waiting game, you might snap yourself up a serious bargain.

Rafinha
Al-Arabi

Formerly of Barcelona and PSG, Rafinha still has real quality with the ball at his feet and is well worth his £8m asking price.

Expensive options

Piotr Zielinksi
Parthenope

At £42m, Zielinski is steep but worth it. While his 8 tackling will need compensating with a smart partner, his 17 passing and 16 vision will make him the perfect orchestator for an elite side.

Aurelien Tchouameni
R. Madrid

He may be slightly more defensive-minded, but Tchouameni can hold his own in this role. He's a top talent now and while his £60m price tag may be high, you can guarantee he'll be worth double that very soon.

Luis Alberto
Lazio

17 passing and 16 long shots tell you everything you need to know about Alberto, who is well worth his asking price of £40m.

Teun Koopmeiners
Atalanta

He's just signed a new contract, but it's worth keeping an eye on Koopmeiners, who starts the game with great asking price of £33m.

Adrien Rabiot
Juventus

Rabiot's expiring contract makes him available for a cool £31m at the start of the game. For a well-rounded player who can attack and defend at a high level, that's not bad at all.

90min recommends

Fabian
Paris SG

Fabian is great. He's a top passer whose 14 tackling is more than respectable at this level, and you'd expect to pay far more than £31m to land a player with that sort of quality.

Carlos Soler
Paris SG

At £26m, Soler is another excellent bargain from PSG. He's got 14s and 15s everywhere you look on his attributes page.

Marcos Llorente
A. Madrid

£43m is comparatively high for a player of Llorente's quality, but what makes him worth it is his versatility. CM, DM, AM, RB, you name it.

Dani Ceballos
R. Madrid

Madrid are always keen to offload the high-earning Ceballos and, at £26m, you shouldn't hesitate to take them up on the offer.

Fredrik Aursnes
Benfica

A seriously underrated player, Aursnes represents unbelievable value at £22m. He brings 16 passing and some unbelievable mental stats, making him one of the best signings in this position.

READ MORE ON THE BEST SIGNINGS & TEAMS TO START A SAVE WITH ON FM24