UPDATE: If you’re looking for a FIFA 19 relevant version of this article, click here.
Player transfers in career mode is a lot of fun, and one of the key ways to improve your chances of success. However, large budgets can make it a little too easy and many players will simply buy up the hottest youth prospects. If you’re looking for a bit more of a challenge then this list of teams is for you. I’ve compiled the 25 smallest transfer budgets, so you’ll really be restricted in your transfer activity.
Don’t forget that the pre-season tournaments make it possible to increase your transfer budget quickly, but it’s optional. Starting out with a tiny budget is the whole point, right?
25. Grimsby Town
Starting Budget: £1,010,980
Just to prepare you, Grimsby are the only side in this list with a budget of more than £1m. Siriki Dembele and Harry Cardwell are two high growth players in your squad that you can build a team around.
24. Crewe Alexandra
Starting Budget: £973,375
Soften the blow of going below the £1m mark with a promising squad of players. The railwaymen have seven players with potential of 70 or over and another eight players with 15+ growth potential.
23. Carl Zeiss Jena
Starting Budget: £969,850
This third tier side won’t be familiar unless you follow the German leagues. Although they did hit the headlines earlier in the season for a very unsportsmanlike goal. Florian Dietz is going to be the player leading your line with 74 potential.
22. Crawley Town
Starting Budget: £963,417
A relatively ok squad to start with, a few players with promising potential. The pick of the bunch is Dennon Lewis, 20 year right winger with 79 potential.
21. Carlisle United
Starting Budget: £959,679
Much less exciting in terms of existing squad potential, so Carlisle presents more of a challenge – if that’s what you’re into.
20. Cheltenham Town
Starting Budget: £947,748
A fair amount of growth potential in this squad, especially with Taylor Moore and Jerell Sellars. The jewel in the crown will surely be striker Freddie Hinds, the pacey 20 year old has a potential of 79.
19. Barnet
Starting Budget: £947,406
Another fairly average squad for League Two. The most promising players in the squad are Ricardo Santos, Jack Taylor and ex-Spurs man Shaq Coulthirst.
18. Yeovil Town
Starting Budget: £937,633
The Glovers have seven players in their starting squad with a potential of 70 or over. However, two of them are strikers and three are centre-backs. Unless you’re going to play in a 5-2-1-2 formation, you might struggle to give them all adequate gametime.
17. Stevenage
Starting Budget: £934,380
The squad here is a real mixed bag, a fair few players have good growth potential. However, many of them start out below 60, so they might be frustrating to play with initially.
16. Newport County
Starting Budget: £925,448
Six players with potential over 70 is a decent enough starting point for a League Two side. Centre-back Ben White has the most potential though so be sure t give him plenty of gametime.
15. Exeter City
Starting Budget: £924,591
A very promising young squad, with a few teenagers that have high growth potential. Wilson and Smallcombe might be below-average when you start out, but play them regularly and train them up and they can turn into top players for Exeter.
14. Accrington
Starting Budget: £920,045
A fairly unremarkable squad but a lot of players have growth potential, even if its only a few points. Wilks, Edwards, Rawson and Leacock-Mcleod offer a bit more in terms of high-growth.
13. Morecambe
Starting Budget: £911,543
Another mixed bag of players here, the key will be figuring out which players have good potential as well as which ones suit your individual playing style.
12. Dundalk
Starting Budget: £824,598
Two things to note here, firstly, we’ve dropped below £900k. This won’t seem like a big deal when you’re used to playing with a large budget but as the budgets get smaller now, it really makes the game a challenge. Secondly, we’redone with EFL League Two teams now focus on Ireland, the SSE Airtricity League. Dundalk are one of the better sides in this league.
11. Cork City
Starting Budget: £812,496
Another decent side compared to the rest of the league. Sadlier has a potential of 75 and Phillips can grow by 20 points – worth holding onto him even if he doesn’t seem like much at first.
10. Shamrock Rovers
Starting Budget: £676,930
Thirteen players in this squad have a potential of 65 or over (three are 72 or over) so you won’t be as desperate to buy players at first.
9. Limerick FC
Starting Budget: £623,086
Another big jump down in budget and to make things worse their squad isn’t fantastic either. There are a few players with reasonable growth potential though so it’s not all bad.
8. Derry City
Starting Budget: £528,725
A decent side for the Irish league and they have five players in their starting squad that have a potential of 70 or higher.
7. Sligo Rovers
Starting Budget: £516,062
Sligo have a capable squad to start out with but none of their players have a potential of over 70, so you’ll have to get creative or bide your time.
6. Bohemian FC
Starting Budget: £488,082
Into the top six clubs with the smallest transfer budgets, now all below £500k. Bohemian are another side that don’t have any players with 70+ potential, making it harder for you to progress.
5. St Pats
Starting Budget: £484,002
Tiny transfer budget? Check. The saving grace here is that Lunney, Markey and O’Hanlon all have potential of over 70 so you can at least grow your squad value.
4. Drogheda United
Starting Budget: £471,914
No players here that are likely to exceed 70 overall but a lot of the players do have reasonable growth potential. So providing you’re playing well and keeping the players in good form (and training them), the overall squad value will increase over time.
3. Bray Wanderers
Starting Budget: £461,219
Considering the quality of the squad here you’ve got a real challenge on your hands. Only a handful of players that are rated over 60, and nobody has a potential higher than 64.
2. Galway United
Starting Budget: £456,945
If Bray was a bit too scary for you then maybe Galway is the club for you? Equally small budget but you’ll at least start with two players than can grow above the 70 mark.
1. Finn Harps
Starting Budget: £442,112
So Finn Harps officially have the smallest starting transfer budget in the game. They do have one player with 76 potential, but he starts out at 53 – so you’ve got your work cut out.
