The Best Goalkeepers to Sign on Football Manager 2021
By Tom Gott
It's always fun to spend big on a new striker who's going to score 40 goals in his debut season, but sometimes the key to success on Football Manager 2021 is actually finding a good goalkeeper.
You need to be able to trust the man in between the sticks for your team if you want trophies and success, and there are plenty of good options out there for teams with any sort of budget.
Let's take a look at some of the best goalkeepers you can sign on Football Manager 2021.
Cheap Options
Predrag Rajkovic
Reims
A popular choice on FM in the past, Rajkovic is now strutting his stuff in a top league and can still be signed for around £5m. He's not the best at the minute but has the potential to grow into a real star.
Danijel Subasic
Free Agent
You don't get any cheaper than former Monaco goalkeeper Subasic, who is sitting around in the free agent pile waiting to be picked up.
Diego Alves
FLA
At 35 years old, you aren't going to get long out of Alves, but he's still a reliable top-tier goalkeeper who can be picked up for just under £2m.
Pepe Reina
Lazio
Make no mistake about it, Reina can still hang. If you want a goalkeeper to cover you for one or two seasons, throw just over £1m at Lazio to bring him in.
Gatito Fernandez
BOT
With a £2.8m release clause, Fernandez can be picked up for almost half his base value. One for the bargain hunters out there.
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Oliver Baumann
Hoffenheim
Baumann remains one of the most underrated goalkeepers on the game, and at 30 years old, he's still got a few years ahead of him. He's not a Ballon d'Or winner but he is still more than capable of shining in a top league.
Joao Paulo
SAN
25-year-old Joao Paulo, who can be signed for around £5m, is a solid goalkeeper already, and he's got the potential to grow a little more.
Adrian
Liverpool
Liverpool are pretty eager to offload Adrian and will take less than £3m for the serviceable Spaniard. He's not a long-term option, but he can cover you for a year or two.
Marwin Hitz
Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund backup Marwin Hitz would make a solid signing for any mid-table side looking for some immediate help. He's too good to be sat on the bench.
Sergio Romero
Manchester United
Speaking of too good to be sat on the bench, Romero is well down the pecking order at United and doesn't even make the squad anymore. United want rid and will take close to £5m for him.
Reasonable Options
Ionut Radu
Inter
Young Romanian Radu is another real bargain. At 23, he is a competent goalkeeper right now and can grow into one of the best around after just a few years. A bit of a long-term project, but one which will reap great rewards.
Koen Casteels
Wolfsburg
Heading towards the £10m mark, Wolfsburg stopper Casteels is a great option for any team on the planet, and he's only 28. He can be your answer for a good few years.
Mike Maignan
Lille
25-year-old Maignan is regularly snapped up by Europe's top sides in FM saves because he's available for around £13m. Make sure you're not caught sleeping.
Jiri Pavlenka
SV Werder
It'll cost you less than £10m to land Pavlenka, who might not be the strongest option on this list, but he's still more than good enough at that price.
Zack Steffen
Man City
With no future with Man City, American Steffen can be signed for almost half his base value, and he's still got a little room to grow.
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Dominik Livakovic
Dinamo
Livakovic is easily good enough to walk into almost every team on the planet. If you take charge of a team who are looking for an upgrade, 25-year-old Livakovic is your man, and he won't even set you back much either.
Thomas Strakosha
Lazio
Lazio will ask close to £15m for Strakosha, who has been one of the Serie A's top goalkeepers for a few years now. That price, coupled with the fact he is only 25, makes this a no-brainer.
Altay Bayindir
Fenerbahce
At the start of the game, Bayindir isn't good enough to start for a top side, which makes his £8m asking price a little scary. However, with a little hard work, the Turkish international could grow into one of the best around.
Ugurcan Cakir
Trabzonspor
Often linked with some of Europe's top sides in real life, 24-year-old Cakir is ready to make the jump in FM as well. He's great already and will only get better with time.
Fernando Muslera
Galatasaray
Probably the best goalkeeper in the reasonable price range, Muslera will cost you close to £8m, but at 34 years old, you might not have him for too much longer.
Expensive Options
Peter Gulacsi
RB Leipzig
Leipzig stopper Gulacsi has been among the Bundesliga's top options for a while now, so if you're wanting someone with that top-flight experience, make sure you consider him.
Neto
Barcelona
Neto is comfortably the most high-profile goalkeeper who doesn't actually play regular football. He's stuck on the bench behind Marc-Andre ter Stegen at Barcelona, but for around £30m, you can save him from purgatory.
Maarten Vandevoordt
Genk
Make no mistake about it, Vandevoordt is an option for the future. He's nowhere near good enough to give you an immediate return for the £15m he'll cost you, but in a few years, there's a good chance he'll be the best in the world. One to consider if you've got the spare money.
Anthony Lopes
OL
Ligue 1 doesn't boast many goalkeepers better than Lopes, but Lyon won't put up too much of a fight if you try and take him off their hands.
David Soria
Getafe
A key part of Getafe's recent rise to prominence, Soria has lived up to his potential and is now one of the better goalkeepers on offer in Spain.
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Alex Meret
Napoli
23-year-old Meret is a top goalkeeper who still has a lot of room for progress. For under £30m, you can make him your shot stopper for the next decade, and you won't regret it.
Geronimo Rulli
Villarreal
No longer the wonderkid he once was, 28-year-old Rulli isn't going to grow into the world's best in his position, but he is good enough for any team in Europe and won't cost too much to lure away from Villarreal.
Alex Remiro
Real San Sebastian
Remiro's £36.5m release clause might be a little high, but paying it will guarantee you have a top goalkeeper in your squad for at least five or six years.
Yassine Bounou
Sevilla
Bounou was in inspirational form as he led Sevilla to Europa League glory last season, thwarting both Wolves and Manchester United en route to lifting the trophy, and you can bring that quality to your team for less than £30m.
Andre Onana
Ajax
The most expensive option on this list is, unsurprisingly, the best. Onana is among the finest stoppers on the game. At 24 years old, he's good enough to keep that title for the best part of a decade, so you'll definitely get value for money.
Jordan Pickford
Everton
Everton are surprisingly willing to offload Pickford, who can be signed for pretty close to his base value in the early weeks of the game.