How to make money in Football Manager

One of the essential keys for success in modern football is money. Clubs tend to spend millions to attract the best players and the height of these fees have been going through the roof in recent years. The money section of Football Manager is one that has been updated over the years and has been taking a crucial place in the game.

In this guide we will be giving you some hints and tips for making some extra money in the game.

Selling players

Obviously selling players is the first and most easy way to earn money in Football Manager. However, FM has been making it more difficult to get a large fee if you want to get rid of a player. The AI understands that a player is unwanted and they will never offer you big money for a player you want to sell.

Clauses & fees

Use clauses and fees to give your earnings a extra boost. Clubs are very reluctant to pay a large initial fee but they are more likely to agree to several clauses and future fees. Always try to add a 'Percentage from next sale' clause or several performance related future fees like 'After X goals or X caps'. Whilst this isn't structural income, it means you could earn some extra cash on moments you don't expect it.

Buying players

We agree. Spending money on players isn't a good way to earn money. But investing some money in young players to develop could earn you tons of cash in the future. Look for bargains on the transfer market (look at the transfer listed players) with the intention of selling them after one or two seasons. You will start to notice that you will be earning quite a lot of money over time, selling almost every player with a small or big profit.

There are also some options to save money when buying players:

Player / Manager interaction

Make sure a player likes you before you try to sign him. Praise his performances to let him know you like him. When you make an offer and his club rejects the offer he could become unhappy and asks for a transfer. When a player is listed the fee will be lower.

It could also help to befriend some managers in the game. If you manage to get on a favoured personel list of a manager he will be more likely to accept a transfer bid on one of his players from you. Also, the fee he will accept a lower fee when you make the bid.

Free transfers

Free transfers are an awesome way to earn money without spending a lot. Roam the free transfer market for players you could sell after a season or two (or even in the next transfer window). You can turn your club in a massive money machine by signing players on a free transfer and then selling them for a couple of million in the next transfer window.

When looking for free transfers, don't limit yourself to players who could strengthen your first team. Look for players that can easily earn you money.

Loan Fees

Signing players on a free transfer or for a low fee could earn you money when you eventually sell them. However, there is also another way to earn money on transfers: loan fees. There have been examples in the Football Manager community of FM players sending out 20 to 30 players on loan every season and earning millions on Loan Fees.

Contracts

Using the correct negotiating tactics could earn you a lot of money. You won't see a direct effect in terms of a hgh balance, but when you look at your yearly financial report you will notice that your expenditure will be lower than you are used to.

First thing to realise is that you NEVER accept the initial demands of a player you want to sign. You always try to negotiate as it is always possible to have him agree a contract with lower wages and clauses.

Three areas you can try to bargain:

Playing Time

Start with the demanded Playing Time. Never accept a player's or agent's demands but always try to lower it. This could leas into the player accepting a lower offer. Also; a player will become less grumpy if you put him on the bench.

Clauses

Also try to take out as much clauses and fees as you possibly can. Clauses that could kill your finances are for example 'Match highest earner' or 'X% Yearly Wage rise'.

Wages

Third is playing with the demanded wages. Never accept the initial demands, but always try lower it. It will be a gamble as a player will make a counter offer. When played correctly you can easily get 3-5 clicks (amount depends on height) of the player's initial wage demand.

Agent fees

One thing you should never try to save money on is the Agent fee. These little buggers are amazingly greedy and if you keep their fee high enough, you will be saving some money on clauses and wages. You might be needing a calculator through these steps, but they are very much worth the effort.

Wage cap

The best way of saving money on contracts and wages is by implementing a tight Wage Structure or Wage Cap at your club. Although this will take some determination, you will experience great results on the financial tab of your club.

Upgrade your facilities

How can spending money earn you money? Well simple; by expanding your stadium you could be creating better hospitality services in your stadium. You will be able to attract more and better sponsors and those deals could earn you a big load of money every season.

But also improving your training and youth facilities could benefit your bank balance on the long run. Better facilities means better training, which mean better performances in the league and the possibility to either sell your players for a higher fee or winning more games and earning more money in TV rights or European tournaments.