The best attacking midfielders to sign on Football Manager 2022
By Tom Gott
Linking up the midfield and attack, the attacking midfielder is the conductor of their team. They're the ones who pull the strings and are responsible not only for creating goals, but for scoring them as well.
If you choose to play with an attacking midfielder in Football Manager 2022, you better make sure you find the best possible player to do that job for you. Fortunately, you're in the right place.
Here's a run through of the best attacking midfielders available after the Winter Update, regardless of what budget you're working with.
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Cheap options
Xherdan Shaqiri
Chicago
A recent arrival in Chicago, you'll be able to convince Shaqiri to negotiate with you soon enough, and the American side will let you do so for as little as £5m. Definitely one to consider.
Amine Harit
Schalke (on loan at OM)
Seen as one for the future, Harit is now 24 years old and still has some room to grow. You'll have to wait a year to get him after his loan in France comes to an end, but at £4.6m, he might be worth the wait.
Marko Livaja
Hajduk
The most expensive of our suggestions in this bracket at £6m, Livaja is a former Inter wonderkid who has forged a solid career for himself. He's definitely good enough for a run in a top European league again.
Luis Montes
Leon
From the most expensive to the cheapest. Montes is 35 and available for as little as £400,000.
Juan Mata
Man UFC
Approaching the twilight of his career, Mata's expiring contract means he can be signed for as little as £2.8m, although his wage demands may block a move to a smaller side.
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Roland Sallai
SC Freiburg
Good enough for a mid-to-top side, Sallai has the potential to get marginally better and could easily be the star of your midfield for years to come. Not bad for £5m.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting
FC Bayern
A bit of a cult hero at Bayern, Choupo-Moting doesn't get the same love on FM. He's on the transfer list and can be yours for £2.5m.
Eran Zahavi
PSV
Zahavi is one of the better options here. He usually ends up in a top league, and his £2.7m asking price is a real bargain, but the downside is he's approaching 34 and has the sort of physical stats that you'd expect. A fantastic short-term option.
Raul Garcia
A. Bilbao
It's a similar story for Garcia. He's statistically the best player in this price bracket and can be yours for £2.7m, but he's nearly 35. If you just want one season from your new signing, then he's your man.
Rasmus Falk
FC Kobenhavn
Finally, we have Falk. He's a woeful goalscorer whose long shots stat (9) is better than his finishing (8), but his 15 passing makes up for that. He's yours for £4.1m.
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Reasonable options
Joaquin Correa
Inter
One of the top attacking midfielders on the game, Correa can be picked up for a very reasonable £18m as part of Inter's mass clear-out.
Giorgian De Arrascaeta
FLA
A great signing for a decent top-tier side, De Arrascaeta has some excellent playmaking stats - 17 technique, 16 vision and 16 dribbling. Worth considering for £10m.
Alejandro Gomez
Sevilla
Gomez has only just joined Sevilla but it's worth pushing him to start talks. He's good enough for any side on the planet and very easily signed thanks to his £17m release clause. At 33, he won't be around for long, however.
Claudinho
Zenit
Making waves over in Russia, 24-year-old Claudinho is a good player who could hang in the top flight for most of the next decade. Not bad for £13m.
Rafinha
Paris SG (on loan at Real San Sebastian)
Another worth the 12-month wait, Rafinha is available for just £8m but is likely to demand some hefty wages to leave Paris. On that note, if you're waiting for the right signing, Sevilla's Oscar is a great buy at £14m when his Getafe loan expires.
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Josip Ilicic
Atalanta
Perhaps the most underrated player on the planet, Ilicic has been a reliable source of goals and assists for Atalanta for a good few years now. He's 33 when the game begins but still more than good enough to play for any team in the world. He'll cost you £9m to sign.
Dries Mertens
Napoli
A little older than Ilicic and currently nursing an injury which will block a move for between two and three months, Mertens is available for just £3.3m plus some hefty wages.
David Silva
Real San Sebastian
Finishing off our bunch of ageing superstars is the best of the bunch. Silva is nearly 36 and has the shortest time left at the top level, so pay £4.9m and enjoy him while you can.
Eljif Elmas
Napoli
At the other end of the spectrum, 21-year-old Elmas is a top player with his best years ahead of him. He'll grow into one of the best on the game and his £27m price tag is only going to rise.
Matteo Pessina
Atalanta
Atalanta are ready to offload a lot of their players for good prices. Ruslan Malinovskyi is a nice buy at £24.5m, but you should look to land the younger Pessina for a bargain £19m if you can.
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Expensive options
Angel Correa
A. Madrid
A versatile weapon all across the forward line, Correa is an excellent player who could be yours for a cool £47m.
Piotr Zielinski
Napoli
£1m cheaper than Correa, Zielinski is another versatile option who shines thanks to his 17 passing, 16 technique and 16 vision.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Roma
The biggest bargain in this price bracket, Mkhitaryan is far better than his £18m price tag may suggest. That's largely due to his expiring contract, so you can just wait and hope he hits free agency in 2022 if you'd rather.
Hakan Calhanoglu
Inter
A set-piece specialist with a whopping 18 passing, Calhanoglu is great value for his £39m asking price. You can get Sergio Canales from Real Hispalis for the same price, but the Inter man is a few years younger.
Marcel Sabitzer
FC Bayern
Bayern have so much talent that they are ready to give you Sabitzer for a cool £25m. You won't find many better than him for that price.
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Rafa
Benfica
As good as anybody available in this guide, Rafa can be picked up for a bargain price of £28m, and what sets him apart from the rest are his low wage demands. If you've can pay his fee, you'll have absolutely no problem satisfying his demands.
Thomas Lemar
A. Madrid
A very similar player to Rafa, Lemar wants a hefty salary to leave Madrid. He's still worthy of that money and is definitely one to consider if you don't mind shelling out.
Rodrigo de Paul
A. Madrid
De Paul has only just moved to Madrid but once he decides to listen to you, he's worth pursuing. At £33m, he's excellent value for money.
Jamal Musiala
FC Bayern
Teenager Musiala is good enough to play for any top side now, but it's his potential which makes him so intriguing. He'll cost you £58m to sign, but that's pocket change for a player who will definitely become one of the world's elite in just a few years.
Lorenzo Pellegrini
Roma
On the topic of potential, Pellegrini is an elite player with a bit more room to grow. He's better than Musiala now but the 25-year-old's potential isn't as high. That compromise will cost you £51m.