Easy ways to claw back some quick cash in Football Manager

We all know there are two ways to make money in Football Manager. 1) Buy low, sell high; 2) Be a Premier League club and get handed an absurd amount of cash every season thanks to ridiculous TV money.

But I’m not talking about those. I’m talking about the times when you’re just £100k short of signing a player, or when you need to scrape together a couple of million to ensure you can afford a new contract for a great deal on an obscure wonderkid. Or maybe you just want to keep your finances in the green and make sure your bank balance isn’t looking like it belongs to a club heading for administration.

A lot of these tips will be obvious if you play the game regularly, but hopefully, there’s at least one here you haven’t thought about—or one you forgot existed—that will help you manage your club’s finances more effectively. Basically, call me the Martin Lewis of Football Manager!

Put £0 relegation release clause in contract

Firstly—this is a small trick, but an incredibly useful one. When negotiating a player’s contract, unless you’re in a relegation battle, always include a relegation release clause set at zero.

If you’re competing at the top of the table, you’ll never have to worry about it triggering, and in return, the player will often accept a lower salary. It’s a bit sneaky, but every penny counts. And remember: saving money = making money.

Be very strict with bonuses and wages

This is one I’ve been particularly bad at recently, so I’m telling you this to help you avoid the financial disaster that struck my most recent save. When negotiating a contract—whether for a new signing or a current squad player—we often focus purely on wages. But bonuses can quietly add up to a huge amount.

For example, take a look at this player in my team. His bonuses make up nearly half of his overall earnings. So, while I thought I’d secured a great deal, in reality, I was bleeding money through hidden costs.

The financial impact on my club has been devastating. Despite spending roughly the same on transfers as I brought in, I’m massively in the red. And it’s all because my wage budget is astronomical compared to the rest of the league.

It doesn’t matter for me—I’m all in for short-term glory. But if you’re aiming for long-term success and want your board to reward you with extra funds every now and then, then be ruthless with bonuses and wages.

Add in clauses when selling players and then cash them out a few months later

Whenever you’re selling a player, pack the deal with as many clauses as possible—appearance-based payments, international caps, sell-on fees, the lot. More often than not, the buying club will accept these without significantly altering their upfront offer.

A few months later, these clauses will appear in your finances, and you can cash them out to instantly boost your transfer budget. However, use some common sense—some clauses are worth holding onto.

For example, if you sold a player for £2 million and included a 50% sell-on clause, but now he’s at a Premier League club and valued at £50 million… DO. NOT. SELL. But for most deals, just compare the immediate payout to what you’d earn by waiting. If there’s not much difference, take the money and run.

Set up friendlies against big/medium size teams

This one is mainly for those managing lower-league clubs, but if that’s you, then make sure to schedule friendlies against bigger teams.

If you’re Manchester United, an extra £50k won’t make a dent. But if you’re managing a team in the lower leagues, every penny counts, and these matches can bring in £10k or more. Friendlies in the first transfer window aren’t hugely profitable, but the deeper you go into a save, the better the payouts, as you’ll get access to bigger teams willing to play you away from home.

Check your reserve squad and youth squads for sellable players

Okay, yes, this is Manchester City’s Under-21 squad, so take this example with a pinch of salt—but look at the potential transfer value in a youth squad!

A lot of these players will be out on loan in the first season, but once season two rolls around, you can make a serious amount of money by offloading them. It’s easy to forget about players who aren’t listed in the first team, so make a habit of regularly checking your reserve and youth squads. You might be sitting on a goldmine without realizing it.

Loan out players with fees

When you loan out a player, DO NOT just accept a wage percentage—always include a monthly playing and non-playing fee. The AI does it to you, so it’s only fair to do it back to them.

Yes, the AI can be incredibly stingy when negotiating, but it’s still worth trying. Once you’ve built a strong squad a few years into the game, you’ll likely have a bunch of squad players you can make serious money from just by loaning them out with hefty monthly fees.

It’s the perfect setup: you keep the player for potential resale while making money off him in the meantime. It’s basically Football Manager’s version of being a landlord.

Final thoughts

Obviously, the best way to make money is still to find hidden gems, develop them, and sell them for a massive profit. But alongside that, these money-saving tricks can make a huge difference.