The best budget forwards to sign in Football Manager 2026 – including former Man City hero

With the official release of Football Manager 2026 just a few days away on 4 November, we’ve spent much of the past week poring through the game’s database to pick out some of the best possible purchases for your first save.

So far, we’ve taken a look at 10 of the best wonderkids to sign in the latest edition of the wildly popular management simulator, along with some of the best cheap goalkeepers, defenders and midfielders you can pick up if you need to keep the books finely balanced in your first transfer window.

Now, it’s time for us to look at the strikers and wingers who could make a difference without breaking the bank. Once again, we’ve divided the players into two sections – those worth less than £1m and those whose maximum transfer value will be no more than £5m, to suit a range of budgets. Let’s dive in…

Former Manchester City star among best sub-£1m forwards in Football Manager 2026

Riyad Mahrez – M/AM R (Al-Ahli - £950k maximum transfer value): Mahrez may be 34 and of no further use to Al-Ahli, who start the game by transfer listing him at a very competitive price, but he’s still got incredible technical stats (20 first touch, 19 technique, 17 dribbling…) and hasn’t slowed down too painfully, with 13 acceleration and 11 pace. At this price point, he’s as good as you’ll be able to get in the game.

Yoshinori Muto – M/AM R/ST C (Vissel Kobe - £850k): Kobe offers express speed (16 acceleration and pace), decent finishing ability and rock-solid mental stats for a good price. There are downsides, admittedly – he’s 32 at the start of the game, and most of his technical attributes outside of finishing are poor. But sometimes a quick striker to bang a few goals in off the bench for a season or two is all a budget-conscious team needs, and it’s not like many top-tier centre-forwards exist in this price range.

Ryan Naderi – AM/ST C (Hansa Rostock - £275k): If you want a long-term option, however, 22-year-old Naderi should not be overlooked. He’s a route-one sort of striker, with good height and plenty of jumping reach, decent heading ability and great stats in some of the most important mental areas. With few major weaknesses and room to develop, Naderi looks like a great get for a Championship side, say.

Bonota Traoré – AM L/ST C (Etoile Carouge - £130k): You can’t get much for this kind of money, but Traoré has decent pace and solid technical stats where it matters most, even if his weak stamina and work rate are red flags. The game is too new for us to know how much those matter, but if they’re not a big deal then this could be a good signing at the very cheapest price point.

Ásgeir Sigurgeirsson – AM L/ST C (KA - £220k): A not dissimilar player to Traoré in that he has good numbers in many of the most important areas but lacks stamina, so you’d be subbing him off quite a bit. He’s still got 15 finishing and 14 heading at 6’3”, however, and at 28 years old has plenty of years left in the tank. His metal stats are very decent, too.

Switzerland & Croatia internationals among FM26’s best cheap forwards

Josip Brekalo – M L/AM RLC (Real Oviedo - £2.1m): Frankly, players looking for elite-level talent at this kind of price point are going to be frustrated. It doesn’t exist, and first-rate wingers and strikers and in short supply even with no budgetary restraints. 27-year-old Croatian international Brekalo isn’t going to tip the balance for a Premier League team, but he has fine all-round technical quality, can take set pieces, and his physical and mental attributes are middling rather than bad. At around £2m, that’s as good as it gets.

Nemanja Radonić – AM RL (Crvena Zvezda - £4.6m): For a little more money you can find a couple of players like Radonić, a Serbian international who has plenty of pace and good technical stats in most of the areas they’re needed for a winger. His mental attributes are pretty borderline, but there are no all-round powerhouses available for less than £5m, just decent role-players. Mahrez may actually be a considerably better buy, age aside.

Marco Grüll – AM RLC/ST C (Werder Bremen - £4.5m): If you’re a Premier League team shopping at this price range, you may be better off targeting a versatile rotational player rather than trying to find someone who will turbocharge your team from the start. Grüll fits the bill – he can play every attacking position competently with good physical and metal attributes and he can take set pieces, but his technical attributes are passable rather than truly high-end.

Kwadwo Duah – ST C (Ludogorets - £3.5m): Up front, the gruel is even thinner, but if you want sheer speed than 28-year-old Duah is your man – 17 acceleration and 16 pace will be enough to blast past most defenders and while his mental stats are pretty poor, 14 finishing will hopefully get the job done. If FM26 resembles FM24 in terms of physicals being more important than mentals, then Duah could be a fine signing, but he’s got his limitations.

Isac Lidberg – ST C (SV Darmstadt - £5m): While you may not be able to sign an elite striker for £5m, Lidberg offers 15 finishing and great strength, determination and work rate and that could be enough to make him a good purchase. If you’re not playing with a UK side, Jagionella’s £2.1m forward Afimico Pululu has broadly similar stats and can play on the wing, but he won’t get a work permit.