Defense wins championships. It’s a popular term in basketball but equally true in soccer. Building a solid defensive line requires at least three and up to five quality pieces, which can get quite expensive—not if you follow our guide to the best cheap defenders in EA FC 25 Career Mode.
One of the best strikers in EA FC 25 can score enough goals all on his own, but one great defender will find it hard to keep a whole defensive line in check. Whether you prefer to play with three central defenders or go for a more classic setup with full-backs and a pair of CBs, you’ll need a large budget or a smart transfer policy to fill your club’s defensive needs. If you’re blessed with the former, great for you, but if not, it’s time to look for the best bargains for defenders in EA FC 25 Career Mode.
Best cheap right-backs in EA FC 25 Career Mode
- Mattia Zanotti (Lugano) – 73 OVR, 83 potential, $7 million
- Juanlu Sanchez (Sevilla) – 72 OVR, 83 potential, $5.5 million
- Martim Fernandes (Porto) – 69 OVR, 84 potential, $3.3 million
- Pedro Lima (Wolverhampton Wanderers) – 68 OVR, 83 potential, $2.9 million
- Hector Fort (Barcelona) – 65 OVR, 82 potential, $1.8 million
There are surprisingly few high-potential right-backs you can poach in EA FC 25 Career Mode. It’s practically impossible to have a player rated 85 at the position without bringing out the bag. On a positive note, there are a couple of real steals, Lugano’s Mattia Zanotti and Sevilla’s Juanlu Sanchez, that can almost instantly slot in the starting 11 and will only become better with time.
Martim Fernandes and Pedro Lima are the best cheap right-backs if you can afford to wait, while Barcelona prospect Hector Fort is the undisputed champion of ultra-budget Career Mode saves.
Best cheap left backs in EA FC 25 Career Mode
- Jorrel Hato (Ajax) – 75 OVR, 88 potential, $13.5 million
- Lewis Hall (Newcastle United) – 73 OVR, 85 potential, $7.5 million
- Tom Rothe (Union Berlin) – 72 OVR, 83 potential, $5 million
- Octavio Ontivero (Lanus) – 62 OVR, 83 potential, $1.3 million
- Harry Amass (Manchester United) – 60 OVR, 85 potential, $800,000
We’ve taken the liberty to include the relatively expensive Jorrel Hato because he’s still a great value purchase with how great he is off the bat and how much greater he becomes in just a couple of seasons—definitely a bargain if you can afford it.
This is a guide to the best cheap left-backs in EA FC 25 Career Mode, after all, and we have plenty of options for lower budgets. Newcastle’s Lewis Hall isn’t worlds apart from Hato’s quality at half the price, making him the best truly cheap prospect. Another Englishman, Harry Amass, is the only player to look at around and below the $1 million mark. Tom Rothe and Octavio Ontivero are the backup options if you can’t acquire Hall or Amass, respectively.
Best cheap center backs in EA FC 25 Career Mode
- Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica) – 81 OVR, 81 potential, $5 million
- Tony Abranjes (Internacional) – 80 OVR, 80 potential, $4.1 million
- Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona) – 72 OVR, 88 potential, $6 million
- Luka Vuskovic (Westerlo) – 64 OVR, 86 potential, $1.9 million
- Tobias Palacio (Argentinos Juniors) – 68 OVR, 84 potential, $3.1 million
We haven’t bothered to present the other side of the spectrum—a wily veteran with something still left in the tank, because there aren’t any full-backs that fit the bill. Things look much better at center back. Nicolás Otamendi and Tony Abranjes are very capable center-backs, and you can immediately insert them into any backline that’s constructed on a small budget.
For those who prefer to immediately start building for the future, getting your hands on Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi should be the first priority. You can buy both Luka Vuskovic and Tobias Palacio for less money, though, so you might have decisions to make in regard to distributing the transfer budget.
If you have fantastic defenders at your disposal, you probably won’t concede too many shots on target. Whenever that happens, though, your goalkeeper is all that stands between your opponent and the goal. You wouldn’t want all that investment into defenders to go to waste, and pairing it with an equally great cheap goalkeeper is the best insurance policy one could have.
