The Backpage | FIFA 12 Bargain Strikers

In this week’s Backpage, Darren Cross reveals the best strikers you can buy in Career Mode for less than £10 million…

Whenever I’ve got some spare cash in Career Mode, I sign a striker. Or strikers.

Not only are they the most exciting players to buy - I love heading into my first game with a new strike force - but they are also the most crucial to get right. Spend your money wisely and you'll go into games confident of scoring goals, but blow your transfer chest on a couple of strikers who don't feel right and games become a bit of a slog as you battle through to the next window.

I hardly ever play a career as a five star team, so more often than not I'm in the market for strikers who cost less than £10 million. Because it can take me a while to get hold of that much cash with a smaller club, it's even more important to sign the best players possible.

It can be the difference between success and failure.

So in this week's Backpage we're going to look at ten of my favourite strikers who each cost less than £10 million, and why I think you should buy them the next time you're in the market for a bargain goal grabber. All of them are available in the first transfer window and many will grow into top strikers that will be worth far more than you’ll have to pay to bring them in.

Have a look, and if you know a bargain striker who’s not in this list then tweet them to me
@Darren_Cross using the hashtag #FIFA12strikers and I’ll share your top tips with the FIFA community.

EMMANUEL MAYUKA
BSC Young Boys – Axpo SL, Switzerland
Age: 20
Overall: 73
Value: £5 million
Actual Cost: £7 million
While I strongly recommend signing any of the players on this list, Mayuka would be my choice if I could only pick one. I like fast, responsive strikers so his 90+ ratings for Acceleration and Pace, along with a Balance stat of 86, really suit me. He’s also good on the ball, has a 5* weak foot and can do 4* skills, but the best thing about Mayuka is how much he improves. By the time he’s 22 his Overall will be in the 80s and you can expect growth of around five to six points for things like Jumping, Agility, Acceleration, Sprint Speed and – crucially – Finishing. You’ll have to pay a couple of million more over his value at the start of the game, but he’s worth it.

JOHNNY RUSSELL
Dundee United – SPL, Scotland
Age: 21
Overall: 70
Value: £3.3 million
Actual Cost: £5 million
At the time of writing I’m in November 2013 with Prem club Blackburn and striker Johnny Russell is dominating the top scorer charts, thanks to his incredible pace, power heading and ability to put the ball away. The left-footed frontman starts off with an Overall of 70 and is well worth getting at the start of the game, as long as you can give him playing time; he’s a 76 now and has put 5-7 points on all of his key stats. At £5 million he’s a steal.

FERNANDINHO
Sao Paulo – Liga do Brasil, Brazil
Age: 25
Overall: 75
Value: £6 million
Actual Cost: £8 million
Fernandinho is one of those strikers that feels great to use because he’s so fast, agile and has great Dribbling and Balance stats. He starts off with an impressive 80 rating for Finishing, so he’s dangerous right from the beginning of Career Mode, but two seasons in and he’s a beast. He’s added seven points to his Overall rating in my game and the most impressive growth has been in the Finishing department – he’s now an 89. A Shot Power of 89 ensures that shots stay hit, so anything in the box is pretty much a goal.

JOBSON
Botafogo – Liga do Brasil, Brazil
Age: 23
Overall: 76
Value: £6.5 million
Actual Cost: £6.5 million
There are loads of top-quality strikers in the Liga do Brasil, and Jobson is right up there with the best of them. His top stat at the start of the game is his Acceleration which, at 91, is much higher than his Sprint Speed rating. Because of that I use him for quick bursts past defenders, and that’s where his 81 Dribbling and 5* skills really shine. He’ll improve slowly but surely for a couple of seasons, so your initial £6.5 million will prove to be money well spent.

JORGE HENRIQUE Corinthians – Liga do Brasil, Brazil
Age: 29
Overall: 74
Value: £2.9 million
Actual Cost: £2.9-3.9 million
Sticking in Brazil, meet Jorge Henrique. He’s a player we’ve looked at before here in the Backpage but he’s such a bargain that this list would have looked weird without him in it. At 29 he’s the oldest player in my top ten so won’t grow much in your game, but then you don’t really need him to. Henrique boasts 90 for Acceleration, 84 for Balance, 86 for Sprint Speed, 80 for Dribbling and 90 for Stamina, plus he can do 4* skill moves. Not bad for around £3 million, eh?

NETO BEROLA Atletico Mineiro – Liga do Brasil, Brazil
Age: 23
Overall: 73
Value: 3.7 million
Actual Cost: £4.5 million
Did I mention that there are some pretty decent players in Liga do Brasil? Nope? Then let me tell you about Neto Berola. You’ll get change out of £5 million for a player with Acceleration and Sprint Speed stats into the 90s, a Balance of 83, a Dribbling ability of 82, plus the Speedster and Acrobat specialties. His Stamina and Strength ratings are poor so I use him mainly as an impact substitute, which he’s perfectly suited for.

MARVIN EMNES Middlesbrough – npower Champ, England
Age: 23
Overall: 71
Value: £2.4 million
Actual Cost: £3.5 million
Emnes is currently one of my favourite forwards to use in season two of my save. His Overall rating has jumped to 75 for me, and many of his physical attributes have rocketed; Marvin now has 96 for Acceleration, 90 Sprint Speed and 81 Balance. Chuck in a 4* weak foot and skills and you’ve got a cracking striker for a little over £3 million.

CARLOS DARWIN QUINTERO
Santos Laguna, Primera Div Mex, Mexico
Age: 23
Overall: 72
Value: £2.8 million
Actual Cost: £3.5 million
Like Henrique, Quintero is another player I’ve mentioned before that I just couldn’t leave out of this bargain strikers list. He’s a player I sign for almost every team I play as because – with such impressive stats – he has a lot to offer at a very low price. Quintero kicks-off with 91 Acceleration, 93 Sprint Speed, 94 Agility, 88 Balance, 82 Dribbling, 5* skills and a 4* weak foot. He’s got two or three seasons of improvement in him at least too. Must buy.

JONATHAN PEREIRA
Real Betis – Liga BBVA, Spain
Age: 24
Overall:73
Value: £3 million
Actual Cost:£3.8 million
At 5ft 6in, 134lbs and with a Strength rating of just 43, Pereira is not going to out-muscle too many opponents. But get the ball to his feet, where he can use his Dribbling ability, Acceleration and Sprint Speed to do real damage, and you’ve got a really useful player for less than £4 million. You can also use Pereira in wide positions or as a CAM, so he’s well worth buying.

ARI
Spartak Moskva – Russian League, Russia
Age: 25
Overall: 79
Value: £7.5 million
Actual Cost: £10 million
Ari offers something a bit different to most of the other players on this list, because he’s a bit of a unit who combines pace with real power; the striker starts off with a Strength rating of 82 and an Acceleration stat of 87. In 2013 of my save he’s got 85 for Ball Control, 84 for Long Shots, a Shot Power of 83 and a Finishing ability of 86, taking his Overall up to 81. He’s the most expensive player here, but one you should check out if you’re looking for a bit of a battering ram up front.

Okay, that’s all for this week. Take a look at the players and please do tweet me with any others you’d like to share with the FIFA community.

As always, thanks for reading and see you next week.
Darren
@Darren_Cross