90min

The best defensive midfielders to sign on Football Manager 2023

By Tom Gott

Kante could be a steal
Kante could be a steal / Visionhaus/GettyImages
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Most of the world's top teams play with a defensive midfielder - somebody decided to stay back and do the dirty work while your creative players shine in attack.

Plenty of tactics in Football Manager 2023 include a DM and so it's important to make sure you've got a reliable one, and there are plenty of options out there for teams with any sort of transfer budget.

Here are the best defensive midfielders to sign on FM23.

Table Of Contents

  1. Cheap options
  2. Reasonable options
  3. Expensive options

Cheap options

David Lopez
Girona

Comfortable both in midfield and defence, Lopez is one of a few top-tier options that you'll find at this price tag. The 32-year-old brings 14 tackling and 14 marking for his £3.7m price tag.

Saphir Taider
Free agent

If you've got no money to spare, take a look at Taider. He's one of the top free agents available and brings a wealth of European experience with him.

Rafael Carioca
Tigres

Carioca is a regular feature in these bargain lists. £2.2m will get you the veteran playmaker.

Rani Khedira
Union Berlin

The brother of former Germany international Sami, Khedira is attracting a lot of real-life interest for his excellent performances. Get on the hype train for £2.9m.

Roque Mesa
Valladolid

Mesa's wages might be a little high for someone of his current ability, but if you've only got around £1.5m to spend, you won't find a whole lot better.

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Charles Aranguiz
Bayer 04

Aranguiz is the most expensive option here but that's for a good reason as he's one of the few options capable of playing for an elite side. £4.6m is a good price for somebody of his current ability.

Andres Guardado
Real Hispalis

A valuable squad player due to his versatility, Guardado is another who is more of a passer than a tackler. He's yours for £725,000.

Lucas Torro
Atletico Pamplona

At 27, Torro comes with some nice resale value to go along with his 16 tackling. His mental stats are also excellent for this role and make his £2.2m price tag feel like a bargain.

Luis Romo
Monterrey

More of a centre-back by trade, Romo is comfortable in this midfield role and brings great value for his £3.5m price tag.

Pedro Bigas
Elche

A midfielder, centre-back and left-back all in one, Bigas is a nice squad option at £2.4m.

Reasonable options

Renato Tapia
Vigo

£6m for Tapia is a steal. He's one of the best midfielders you'll find at this price point, but also one of the cheapest. There are plenty of sides sniffing around him as the game starts, so you better move quick.

Daley Blind
FC Bayern

Blind is available for a cool £7.5m and is good enough to cover for an elite side. He won't join immediately after just signing for Bayern but he's not going to play there and will soon be pretty easy to snap up, especially since he is on a one-year contract.

Axel Witsel
A. Madrid

Atletico are in a rush to lower their wage bill and so they'll sell you Witsel for a cool £11.5m. For a top player who can also fill in at the back, you really can't argue with that.

Lucas Torreira
Galatasaray

Torreira has just joined Galatasaray but keep an eye on him because he remains more than good enough to feature for a top side. His price tag at the start of the game sits at £8.5m.

Wilmar Barrios
Zenit

Over in the Russian league, Barrios has been a bargain signing for a few years now. £14m is more than reasonable for somebody with his sensational defensive stats.

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Mateus Uribe
Porto

Also our favourite signing for central midfield, Uribe is in his element defensively. His 16 tackling and his unreal mental stats make him an excellent candidate for the role and his price tag of just £12.5m is a steal when you consider the fact his stats match up to those of players in the expensive bracket.

Oriol Romeu
Girona

Another recent signing, don't hesitate to move for Romeu when he does hit the market. The former Southampton man is valued at £10.5m early on.

Sofyan Amrabat
Fiorentina

A nice World Cup upgrade has seen Amrabat emerge as a top option. Some elite sides are interested in his £12.5m price tag so you might have to move quickly.

Amadou Haidara
RB Leipzig

With the potential to grow into a great option here, 24-year-old Haidara is a really smart signing for just £8.5m.

James Milner
Liverpool

If you want a short-term fix, 36-year-old Milner is available for just £2.3m but will command some massive wages.

Expensive options

Fredrik Aursnes
Benfica

He's only just joined Benfica, but when Aursnes becomes available, his £30m price tag makes him an unreal target.

Sergio Busquets
Barcelona

One of the best DMs you'll find without breaking the bank is Busquets, who is on the last year of his contract and available for a cool £21.5m.

N'Golo Kante
Chelsea

Chelsea will let Kante, who has the highest current ability on this whole list, leave for just £41m, but the issue is he won't join your club unless you're a truly elite side.

Hidemasa Morita
Sporting CP

Just £25m will get you Morita. That's an absolute steal for the Japan international, who is happy anywhere in midfield.

Manuel Ugarte
Sporting CP

Lining up alongside Morita, 21-year-old Ugarte has sky high potential and will soon be one of the best players on the game. He's an elite option now, however, and can be signed for just £44m.

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William Carvalho
Real Hispalis

He might not be as cheap as he once was, but at £30m, Carvalho is still a no-brainer. His stats are absolutely elite for this position.

Guido Rodriguez
Real Hispalis

Like Carvalho, Rodriguez has seen his price tag bumped up. He's now valued at £44m which, for a player of his ability, still feels very fair.

Teun Koopmeiners
Atalanta

Another young prospect, Koopmeiners is a great player who is perhaps a little under that elite bracket at this point, but he'll grow into an excellent player and is a low risk at £23m.

Stanislav Lobotka
Parthenope

An excellent all-round midfielder with 17 tackling and 16 passing (and 6 finishing), Lobotka is perfectly suited for so many different tactical styles and is absolutely worth his £41m price tag.

Adrien Rabiot
Juventus

Thanks to his expiring contract, Rabiot can be yours for just £27m.

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