Football Manager 2022: 10 Defensive Midfielders You Must Sign

1. João Palhinha

Football Manager 2022 Joao Palhinha
SEGA

Club: Sporting Lisbon

Nationality: Portuguese

Price: £28 million

An approximate price tag of £28 million may put João Palhinha out of the reach of some clubs, but if there's any way whatsoever that you can afford him, this Portuguese international is someone who you must sign.

Here, you have a player who can slot into any starting XI in world football and make an impact. So, in that regard, £28 million could be viewed as a bargain when compared to other similar players out there who easily cost double or triple that amount.

Palhinha can be deployed as a CDM or CM, with him phenomenal as either as ball-winning midfielder or simply a defensive midfielder. To indicate how impressive the Sporting Lisbon player is in these roles, he has starting stats of 17 for all of tackling, positioning, concentration, natural fitness, aggression and bravery, while there are 16s for teamwork, anticipation, strength and jumping.

Not only does the 25-year-old tick all of the right boxes from the defensive side of things, he also has solid technical stats and a powerful 6'3" frame to his name. Away from the elite DMs who will set you back £100 million or more, João Palhinha is the best possible signing you can make if looking for a top level defensive midfielder - plus he still has plenty of scope to develop further.

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