Stephen is back with his second help guide of the week, this time looking at five players you must be looking to sign.
Depending upon where you start your save there will be challenges in getting top players that you want for your squad, so you may need to bide your time and work up the leagues before you get the chance to negotiate.
Over my years of playing I’ve identified 5 players to get on your shortlist ASAP to keep track of their performance. You’re allowed 30 players on your shortlist (i think) and you can check their availability by checking the ‘Including/Excluding Unavailable’’ button. If they’re showing after pressing it, their club are willing to listen to offers.
Here are my 5 recommendations:
Ronaldo (the Brazilian one)
Who wouldn’t want Ronaldo on their team? Either one – Brazilian or Portuguese. They are both world beaters. So when you begin your save get Ronaldo on your shortlist. He’ll probably be at Inter Milan at this stage in his career but he’ll be the golden ticket you’ll aspire to sign throughout the game.
Bear in mind when CM9798 was being produced Ronaldo was the closest thing to Pele in the footballing world so that’s how good could be for your team. But someone that good will take A LOT of effort to get, so be patient. I’ve spent nearly 10 seasons trying to sign him before he retires and never succeeded in some saves. He’s only going to be interested in a developed and winning club so you need to perform on the pitch as you can’t just throw money at him.
He rarely gets in trouble so you’ll never have issues with injuries or suspensions either.
Robert Page
Nope not the musician, but the low key Watford defender is the next name to get on your list. He again, like Ronaldo, won’t be swayed by money so you’ll need to be a team with mid-90’s pedigree. As a player he is consistent and a good pairing in a CB partnership.
He starts off the game at Watford quite young but gets better with age, unlike Michael Owen irl.
Ariel Arnaldo Ortega
Probably the second most valuable overseas player in the CM9798 universe, though his love for transferring to England isn’t apparent so you may need to start a continental save to be able to sign him – though it is possible if your running Man United etc.
Ortega is an FRC and not an outright SC so be careful where you play him, though his adaptability is high (15) I’ve personally never seen him excel as a lone striker, better as number 9 on the right side (behind a SC). Look out for him at Valencia.
Uwe Rosler
Remember this scruffy German ripping up the prem in the early 90’s? He looked like Sunday League, but played like Champions League and his stats reflected that. He’ll be hanging around Man City when you begin your save but always chips in a high goal return every season with a fairly decent amount of assists for a SC.
He can rack up a few yellows during a season so watch out for upcoming suspensions but 1 or 2 games on the sidelines isn’t bad for a 25+ goal per season striker.
Robbie Fowler
Unless you’re playing as Liverpool to pry Robbie Fowler away from Anfield will be a big ask in any save so be patient and bide your time. Fowler is a machine in the final third, possibly returning more than 30 goals per season in the right setup, which is reflected in his £10M+ price tag.
Fowler is great in a front 2 but isn’t great in the air so he’ll need direct service from running AM or a nearby FC. He’ll inevitability be called up for all England duty so make sure you give him time on the bench when you can afford it.
Hope you’ve enjoyed this guide. Find me on Twitter @sjwalt2006 for more CM9798 chat. Use #CM9798 & follow @CM9798