Best cheap players to sign in EA FC 25 Ultimate Team

Regardless of players want to construct their starter squads in EA FC 25, there are plenty of excellent cheap options at every position.

FC IQ has forced players to re-wire their brains when putting together a starting 11 in Ultimate Team. Instead of Work Rates, each card has a Player Role that determines where they fit best in a formation.

A + indicates that the player is more effective in this role than others, while a ++ means that they will be among the very best in this specific role. With that in mind, Ultimate Team users must find the best fits for how they want to play.

So, here are the best budget players in FC 25 Ultimate Team.

Best budget players at every position for EA FC 25 Ultimate Team

For our list, we only included players that are under 5,000 UT Coins, so players with any budget have a chance of purchasing them. The Transfer Market is always changing, so these prices are all subject to change.

Strikers (ST)

Players we recommend

• Marcus Thuram
• Mathys Tel
• Cody Gakpo

Impressive Pace, Physical stats, and Shooting stats make Marcus Thuram the perfect starting striker for any Serie A or hybrid squad. And if players like using the card, he is expected to receive a Player of The Month SBC.

Mathys Tel is an elite goal scorer who is tall, fast, and lethal in front of net. Four star skills and weak foot make this card versatile in any scenario.

Liverpool mostly uses Cody Gakpo as a winger, but the Dutchman is fantastic as a striker in EA FC 25.

Left Midfielders and Left Wingers (LM & LW)

Players we recommend

• Mykhalio Mudryk
• Mattia Zaccagni
• Leandro Trossard

For only 700 cards, it’s difficult to find a better valued card than Mudryk. The Ukrainian winger is a nightmare for fullbacks with 92 pace and also has four star skills and weak foot.

75 Passing leaves a little bit to be desired, but 87 Pace and 88 Dribbling makes Zaccagni a viable winger for starter squads.

You won’t be blowing past defenders with Leandro Trossard on the wing, but he is a reliable option who has great attributes across the board. And for the cherry on top, the Belgian outside midfielder has a five star weak foot and four star skills.

Right Midfielders and Right Wingers (RM & RM)

Players we recommend

• Athenea
• Viktor Tsygankov
• Pedro Neto

Athena’s five star weak foot and four skills makes her a problem for defenders in the box, and 85 Pace is more than enough to beat fullbacks on the wing.

Versatility is everything with Viktor Tsygankov. Girona’s rising star can play CM, CAM, RW, and RM, but we found that he plays best out wide taking on opposing back lines.

For Premier League fans out there, Chelsea’s new signing Pedro Neto has four star skill moves and weak foot, and elite dribbling skills to embarrass defenders consistently.

Central Midfielders (CM)

Players we recommend

• Rodrigo De Paul
• Ryan Gravenberch
• Tijjani Reijnders

All three of our central midfielder choices have at least four star skills and a three star weak foot making them a jack of all trades. Rodrio De Paul is a workhorse for Athletico Madrid who can control the middle of the field for a full 90 minutes.

Along the same lines, Tijjani Reijnders does just about everything above average and has 92 stamina to put a full shift in.

Ryan Gravenberch’s stats pale in comparison to other options, but the midfielder is a perfect cheap option for otherwise expensive Premier League sides.

Central Defensive Midfielders (CDM)

Players we recommend

• Emre Can
• Konrad Laimer
• Ismael Bennacer

Opposing attacks will have a hard time getting past these three brick walls anchoring a midfield. Emre Can, Konrad Laimer, and Ismael Bennacer are all quick, strong, and have competent enough Dribbling attributes to get out of tight spots.

Central Attacking Midfielders (CAM)

Players we recommend

• Brahim
• James Maddison
• Julian Brandt

Dexerto

There are a lot of noteworthy starter CAM options, but these three stood out because they all have at least four star skills and weak foot, average passing, and elite dribbling to create chances in the final third.

Center-Backs (CB)

Players we recommend

• Benjamin Pavard
• Lisandro Martinez
• Edmond Tapsoba

Dexerto

Benjaim Pavard stood out as the best cheap center back because of the Jockey PlayStyle + that makes it easier to stay in position to dispose an attacker and elite Defending stats that are comparable to some of the title’s best center backs.

In a similar vein, Lisandro Martinez offers everything you would want from a shutdown at a cheap price compared to other Premier League options.

Edmond Tapsoba has the physical presence and exceptional Defending stats needed to keep a clean sheet against dangerous opponents.

Left Backs (LB)

Players we recommend

• Ferdi Kadıoglu
• Balde
• Federico Dimarco

Dexerto

We usually wouldn’t recommend using a right footed player at left back, but it’s impossible not to recommend Ferdi Kadioglu whose Pace, Dribbling, and Physical attributes shine in any side.

Balde isn’t the most strongest or most reliable defender, but elite Pace is all you need sometimes for a fullback to do the job properly.

Right Backs (RB)

Players we recommend

• Ashley Lawrence
• Denzel Dumfries
• Daniel Munoz

Dexerto

Women cards in Ultimate Team are often underpriced for how good they are in-game and that applies to Ashley Lawrence. The Chelsea fullback has everything you would want to shut down opposing wingers.

Denzel Dumfries makes up for slow Acceleration with 89 Strength and 94 Jumping, which is crucial for knocking attackers off the ball.

The Premier League has several interesting RB options, but Munoz only cost around 800 coins and does the job well enough.

Goalkeepers (GK)

Players we recommend

• Guglielmo Vicario
• Giorgi Mamardashvili
• Lukas Hradecky

Dexerto

You could make the case that Giorgi Mamardashvili is the best cheap card on the Transfer Market in EA FC 25. The shot stopper’s attributes are well beyond what you would expect from a starting goalkeeper.

Meanwhile, Guglielmo Vicario is the best starter goalkeeper for Premier League teams and Lukas Hradecky is the best first keeper choice for Bundesliga squads.

For more on EA FC 25, check out our guides on the best RUSH players in EA FC 25 under 79 overall and how to fix menu lag in Ultimate Team.