Football Manager 2022: 10 Signings You Must Make Every Time
9. Paulinho
Paulinho is an enigma. The 56 cap Brazilian was a flop at Spurs, one of a number of unsuccessful signings following the sale of Gareth Bale, and thought to be finished as a top player after a move to the Chinese Super League, only to triumphantly return to Europe, feeding the ball to Lionel Messi as an integral part of a double-winning Barcelona side.
A solid all-round midfielder that can be used in number of different roles, we would expect him to continue to have solid defensive, creative, and attacking stats, but it has traditionally been his match intelligence and ability to knit a team's passing play together that has made him such an effective player on FM.
The reason he comes so highly recommended is that he is currently a free agent, following a few years back in Asia, where he scored more than a goal every two games from midfield. Now 33, it is unlikely players will get more than a couple of good years out of him, but he could prove vital in securing short-term success.
Honourable mentions go out to fellow free agents, the injury-prone but mercurial Jack Wilshire as well as the frustrating former Newcastle and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa.