Best ‘undervalued’ clubs to find super cheap players on Football Manager

If you’ve played Football Manager for long enough, you’ll know how wildly a player’s value can swing just by moving from one club to another. I recently managed a team where my best striker was valued at £10 million. He got snapped up by Manchester United, and his value immediately rocketed to £100 million. It’s painful when you’re on the wrong side of that transfer. But if you’re the buyer? It’s a total cheat code. You can find gems for an absolute bargain.

If you’re a Championship side working with a measly £2 million budget, you might just find an underrated wonderkid for that price, if you know where to look. And if you’re managing at the top level, you can afford to wait until they move to another club and then swoop in. But let’s be real, most of us don’t have that luxury.

So, what are the best ‘undervalued’ clubs to scout and scour? I’ll run through some of the top ones I’ve found, perfect for when you don’t have the time (or budget) to go on a global scouting odyssey.

The New Saints F.C.

Let’s kick off with a club I’ve had a lot of joy raiding over the years. The reputation of the Welsh league is, frankly, in the mud, which automatically makes any player in it very cheap. But TNS still manages to churn out quality wonderkids, thanks to their complete monopoly over Welsh football.

They might not produce the next Mbappé, but if you’re managing a lower league or Championship-level side, you’ll find some absolute diamonds here. It’s a must-visit if you’re bargain hunting.

Colo Colo

Whenever I open up the scouting section and see a player with three-star current ability and five-star potential, they’re always from Colo Colo. Every single time.

If I get a recommendation from there, I grin like a lunatic, because I just know they’re going to be elite and somehow cost about a fiver. Chile may be far away from the footballing epicentre, but Colo Colo pumps out wonderkids like it’s going out of fashion. It’s a match made in FM heaven.

Sundowns

Football Manager absolutely loves South African wonderkids. Every single save I play has at least one South African lad who becomes the best player in the nation’s history.

That might be because South Africa is the only African nation in the base game. And the best place to find these gems? Sundowns. They’re the dominant force in South African football, and because of the league’s low reputation, you’ll rarely have to spend more than £5 million to land a future world-beater.

That’s a steal for any top European side.

MSK Zilina

Criminally underrated. They’ve got a top youth setup, excellent recruitment, a track record for producing technically gifted players, and they’re based in a low-reputation league. That’s the perfect cocktail for bargain-hunting in Football Manager.

They may not have churned out a ton of real-life world-class players, but in FM terms, they’re a fantastic place to search for your next elite regen advanced forward.

FC Nordsjaelland

This one might seem obvious, but stick with me, I found another reason why this club is FM gold. Based in Denmark, they’ve got an elite youth academy and a unique partnership with the Right to Dream academy in Ghana.

That gives them access to a dual pipeline of talent from both Europe and Africa. And despite this setup, their players often come with modest transfer fees and wage demands, thanks to the league’s relatively low reputation.

I always knew there were multiple reasons why this club produced so many ballers—but now I’ve got proof.

Boca Juniors

Yeah, this one’s obvious. But I’m including it anyway because of the sheer madness I’ve seen at this club.

Not only do they churn out world-class wonderkids, but every single one of them seems to have a release clause. You’ll find players valued at £5 million who are quite literally among the best in their position globally.

It’s an absolute joke. So if you’re ever in need of wonderkids, go shopping at Boca. Everyone else does. Can you tell this topic gets me a bit worked up?

Monterrey

For one of my long-term Pentagon Challenge saves, I did a deep dive into every player labelled as a ‘Wonderkid’ to see which clubs stood out, specifically ones not in a high-rep league.

One club that popped up: Monterrey in Mexico. Two of their players made the wonderkid list, and both would cost less than £10 million.

Their top-tier youth recruitment and facilities make them a hidden gem in FM. In real life, they haven’t exactly produced a conveyor belt of world-beaters, but in-game? Different story. I’ve lost count of how many Mexican advanced forwards have absolutely torn me apart.

Red Star

If we’re talking about countries that just keep producing overpowered players in FM, Serbia is right near the top.

Even their real-life stars, like Sergej Milinković-Savić, feel like they’ve been given cheat code stats. And when you’re shopping in Serbia, Red Star Belgrade (and their eternal rivals, Partizan) are the best places to look.

Their recruitment and facilities are excellent, and you’ll often find future superstars there before the big boys swoop in.

KRC Genk

Genk has been a talent factory for decades. From Thibaut Courtois to Kevin De Bruyne, some of the best players of the modern era have come through their ranks.

Their facilities and scouting network are top-notch, and while they might be a bit pricier than some of the others on this list, you can still nab a youth or reserve player for a very decent price.

And if you’re managing a big club? Their wonderkids are still well within budget. It’s a no-brainer.

Final Thoughts

Obviously, I can’t cover every club that produces affordable wonderkids, but there are a few notable absentees. Dinamo Zagreb, FC Midtjylland, Étoile du Sahel, and Club Africain all deserve shout-outs too. And there’ll definitely be more I’ve missed.

What are your go-to clubs when you’re on the hunt for bargain players? How do you find those next-gen stars that cost next to nothing? Let me know in the comments, let’s share the secrets (or keep them to ourselves, if you’re that kind of player).