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The English Premier League is not only the most-viewed domestic football league in the entire world. It is also a fan-favorite when it comes to putting together Ultimate Team builds in FIFA's overwhelmingly popular FUT game mode. After all, the EPL is where many of the best teams and top-performing players ply their trade, which is reflected by their FIFA 22 stats.
On the other hand, the popularity of the Premier League has inevitably driven up prices of the best player cards from that competition. For example, buying an 85-rated striker from the EPL will cost FIFA players much more than buying a La Liga footballer with the same stats. That is not to say that players on tight budgets are all out of luck. There are still plenty of budget alternatives one can buy to complete their Premier League FUT team without breaking the bank.
Updated June 23, 2022 by Maciej Grzymkowski: With FIFA 22 coming to Xbox Game Pass, the game is gearing up for one final swan song before inevitably getting replaced by the next entry in EA Sports' juggernaut of a franchise. Players looking to quickly get into the Ultimate Team mode should probably focus their efforts on the English Premier League, by far the most popular choice in FUT. With plenty of low-priced, high-quality cards available on the market, one can put together a decent team of skilled footballers, even on a tight budget. This article was updated with alternative card choices for the key positions of goalkeeper, center-back, central midfielders, and striker, which can help newcomers add some depth to their squads.
Futwiz.com was used as a source for the average prices of the players. Please note that this figure fluctuates often.
Goalkeeper
- Best option: Ederson
- Budget option: Edouard Mendy
- Alternative choice: David de Gea
Manchester City's main goalkeeper is famous for his frequent blunders, especially with the ball at his feet. Despite his poor decision-making in a few high-profile games, however, Ederson can't be denied the title of the best goalkeeper in England's top division. His 87-rated diving and an 88 reflexes stat are guaranteed to save many players' skin in key moments of their FUT matches.
Ederson's prices can reach up to 35,000 coins, though, which might be out of many new players' budget range. The 83-rated Edouard Mendy from Chelsea is a feasible alternative to Ederson. With solid reflexes (84) and decent handling (82), he's definitely worth more than the 2,500 coins he's currently priced at.
David de Gea needs no introduction to the fans of English football. Having spent the last ten years of his career in Manchester United, he is an established starter and club legend who can still pull off some spectacular saves despite having been in the game for so long. In FIFA 22, he costs around 7,000 coins which is quite cheap for an 84 OVR player with 86-rated diving and 87 reflexes.
Right Back
- Best option: Joao Cancelo
- Budget option: Ricardo Pereira
Modern defenders need to be much faster and more agile than their counterparts from the past. This is especially true for full-backs, who play a vital role in attacking play. They overlap with wingers to break down the opposition's defensive formation. Joao Cancelo from Manchester City is an 86 OVR right-back that meets all the requirements of a capable defender. He is not only fast, but also very good with the ball at his feet. At 20,000 coins, he's fairly costly for new players, but he should be attainable after a few hours of grinding.
Those who don't want to shell out this much FUT money on a defender may find Leicester City's Ricardo Pereira to be a viable choice as well. With an 84 overall rating and 83-rated pace, he doesn't lag too far behind Cancelo. More importantly, at approximately 6,500 coins, he costs only a fraction of what is needed to buy the Man City player.
Center Backs
- Best options: Virgil van Dijk and Raphael Varane
- Budget options: Antonio Rudiger and Cristian Romero
- Alternative choices: Joe Gomez and Ruben Dias
Virgil van Dijk is a true rock in Liverpool's defense, and FUT players can always rely on him to patch up their backline. At 89 OVR, and a 91 defending rating, he comes with a hefty price tag of 35,000 coins, though. Players with a sizeable enough budget may want to get Man United's Raphael Varane (86 OVR, 87 DEF) to create an impenetrable defensive partnership. Thus, the very best Premier League partnership will cost FUT fans over 20,000 coins, which not all players can afford right away.
Chelsea's Antonio Rudiger (83 OVR, 84 DEF) and Cristian Romero (82 OVR, 83 DEF) from Tottenham may be the budget-friendly (around 8,000 coins for the both of them) answer to one's defensive woes. At the very least, they'll do until gamers amass the funds to finance the purchase of elite center backs.
Players looking for a combination of speed and strength might also consider snagging the defensive pairing of Ruben Dias and Joe Gomez. With overall ratings of 87 and 82 respectively, they are a formidable duo who complete each other's shortcomings. At 81 pace, Gomez is quick on his feet, whereas Diaz's 88 defensive stat and 88-rated physicality provide a much-needed counter-balance. Players can get Joe Gomez for a mere 4,000 coins but might need to shell out upwards of 20,000 to secure Ruben Dias.
Left Back
- Best option: Andrew Robertson
- Budget option: Alex Telles
The Scottish full-back Andrew Robertson, currently playing for Liverpool, is known for his runs down the left flank and great execution of set pieces, as well as a fierce defensive playstyle. He's got everything a manager might want from a player in that position. With an 87 overall rating that combines 84-rated pace with an 82 defensive stat, he's definitely worth the 27,000-coin price tag.
Players with more restrictive budgets should find solace in the form of Alex Telles, a Brazilian left-back from Manchester United. His pace (83) and his passing abilities (82) are comparable to Robertson's attacking stats. While he may not be as good defensively as the Scot, he only costs 2,000 coins, so purchasing him should be a no-brainer for any FUT enthusiast looking for an immediate left-back option.
Right Midfielder/Winger
- Best option: Mohammed Salah
- Budget option: Raphinha
Mo Salah, the "Egyptian King," is currently tearing up the Premier League, scoring goals in nearly every game he features in. In FIFA 22, his stats are truly awe-inspiring. With 90 pace and dribbling ratings, and 87-rated shooting, it gets no better than Salah in terms of Premier League wingers. Of course, the privilege of having him on the team comes at a high cost of around 35,000 coins.
Raphinha's 82 OVR rating is somewhat misleading, as, with 91 pace and 84 dribbling, his overall stat is heavily downgraded by peripheral abilities that don't really matter for an attacking-minded player like him, such as 49-rated defending. FUT players looking for a quick, reliable winger shouldn't think twice about shelling out 3,000 coins on this Leeds starman.
Central Midfielders
- Best options: Kevin De Bruyne and Bruno Fernandes
- Budget options: Kai Havertz and Ilkay Gundogan
- Alternative choices: N'Golo Kante and Paul Pogba
Combining Manchester United's and Manchester City's best central midfielders in one team is borderline impossible in real life, but in FIFA Ultimate Team, players can do that fairly easily, provided that they have the funds. For a lump sum of 75,000 coins, one can get Kevin de Bruyne (91 OVR, 93 PAS) and Bruno Fernandes (88 OVR, 89 PAS) to form a midfield duo straight out of any manager's wildest dreams.
Still, buying Fernandes and De Bruyne right away is probably out of reach for those who have just picked up FIFA 22 and want to amass their FUT coins via gameplay, rather than microtransactions or transferring funds from their FIFA 21 saves. These players should look towards Chelsea's Kai Havertz (84 OVR) and Ilkay Gundogan (85 OVR), De Bruyne's reliable substitute, to form a CM pairing that will get the job done for only 18,000 coins.
Those looking for two highly-rated midfielders attainable without breaking the bank should look no further than Chelsea's N'golo Kante and Manchester United's Paul Pogba. The French duo may not be the paciest of midfielders, but they more than make up for it with their passing skills and physicality. Snagging up two cards with 87 (Pogba) and 90 (Kante) overall ratings for less than 70,000 coins is a true FUT bargain for players wanting to improve their midfield.
Left Midfielder/Winger
- Best option: Heung Min Son
- Budget option: Diogo Jota
Heung Min Son is one of the most balanced players in FIFA 22, which explains his lofty 35,000-coin price tag. With 88-rated pace, 87 shooting, and a dribbling rating of 86, he is one of the most complete wingers in the game, guaranteed to rake in loads of goals and assists in most games.
Liverpool's Diogo Jota is definitely a step-down from Tottenham's Son, but he is a very solid left-wing option, especially considering that he only costs around 1,500 coins on the FUT open market. With his pace, dribbling, and shooting ratings well within the 80s range, he will provide a fantastic return on investment, even for managers who bring him in merely as a bench option.
Strikers
- Best option: Cristiano Ronaldo
- Budget option: Gabriel Jesus
- Alternative choice: Romelu Lukaku
When it comes to the best striker in the Premier League, there could only be one valid answer: Cristiano Ronaldo. Manchester United's prodigal son returned to the club in the final days of August 2021, sending fans into a nostalgia-fueled frenzy. In FIFA 22, he's rated at 91 OVR, with a 93 shooting stat, 87 pace, and 88 dribbling. Due to his status as arguably the greatest footballer of all time, he's also the most expensive player in the game and can cost players as much as 50,000 coins.
Players with more realistic budgets seeking out a striker that will bring in a lot of goals should find what they're looking for in Man City's Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian forward is a serious threat in front of goal and can breeze through opposition's defenders with relative ease, thanks to his 84-rated pace and a dribbling rating of 86. He can be picked up for as little as 2,800 coins.
Affordably-priced Premier League strikers with an overall rating higher than 87 are difficult to combine. However, players with a striker budget of 20,000 coins should definitely look into buying Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian forward is particularly good at shooting (87-rated) and at 84 pace, he is rather fast, especially considering Lukaku's 83-rated physique.
FIFA 22 is available on Google Stadia, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.