The below screenshots of the Best Football Manager 2017 Strikers are taken with attribute masking switched off. Any discussion of hidden attributes such as ‘consistency’ and ‘injury proneness’ are verified by using third-party data editors/readers. Transfer costs are based on day 1 estimates of starting a new save in Football Manager 2017 (do note that this will vary as the game progresses). Do note that the list below does not contain any wonderkids, as that will be covered in a separate upcoming post.
Paulo Dybala
Estimated Transfer Cost: £70+ million
Best Roles: Complete Forward, Deep Lying Forward, Advanced Forward, Trequartista and False Nine
Strengths:
Ask around andmany people would say Paulo Dybala is probably the most broken player in this version of Football Manager as he quickly develops into a World Class striker during the first season. He has all the right attributes to end up as the top goal scorer for any season – Finishing of 16 (with room for improvement), Technique of 18 for well-placed finishes and a First Touch of 18. Dybala isn’t just a predator in front of goal, he is a real creator of goal scoring opportunities as well. His Dribbling of 17, coupled with Passing and Vision of 16 and 17 respectively, makes him a real threat to be reckoned with in the final third of the pitch.
Dybala rarely has a bad game due to his rate of 17 and 13 respectively for the hidden traits of Consistency and Important matches. Another reason why he is often on the top of goal scoring charts is his rating of only 4 for Injury Proneness ensures he is fit virtually all season. Dybala will be worth every penny despite his hefty price tag.
Weaknesses:
There really isn’t any glaring weaknesses for Dybala other than his physical traits. He has a small built at 5’9″, lacks physical strength (12) and does not really have any aerial presence (8 for Jumping reach). This makes him a fairly poor choice for a Target Man if that is something you utilize in your tactics. Despite that, his ability to finish goal scoring chances and to create them more than compensates for his lack of physical presence.
Mauro Icardi
Estimated Transfer Cost: £75+ million
Best Roles: Poacher, Advanced Forward
Strengths:
Icardi comes across as Mr Consistent in front of the goal (rated 17 and 17 respectively for Consistency and Important Matches). He comes with the right stats to be lethal in front of goal, with a Finishing of 18, Anticipation of 18, as well as an Off The Ball rating of 17.
Icardi excels particularly as a Poacher or Advanced Forward, largely due to his tendencies to move into good vertical spaces when he is Off the Ball (17), in addition to his player trait of attempting to beat offside traps.
Weaknesses:
Icardi is pretty one-dimensional in nature, excelling only at finishing chances – he is not equipped to play a creative role in the squad due to his poor Passing rating of 12, Teamwork of 10, along with his Vision of only 10.
Robert Lewandowski
Estimated Transfer Cost: £100+ million
Best Roles: Complete Forward, Poacher, Deep Lying Forward, Advanced Forward, False Nine, Trequartista
Strengths:
Lewandowski’s strength as a World Class Striker lies in his athleticism. He is the quintessential German machine – great Stamina (19), Work Rate (18) allows him to be running all game. Coupled with a 17 rating for Off the Ball, he will be causing problems for defences with his endless running. His high work rate also complements a high-press tactical setup. Lewandowski is also a good finisher of the ball (rated 17 for Finishing and 18 for his First Touch).
It really is not an understatement to say Lewandowski is a machine – he is rated 1 for Injury Proneness, and 19 for Natural Fitness. In the rarest of occassions where he is injured, he rarely stays on the sidelines for long.
Weaknesses:
Lewandowski weakness lies in his ‘predictableness’ – with fairly mediocre rating in Flair (13) and Dribbling (13), he is unlikely to be the individual who can fashion chances out of thin air. Bayern is also very unwilling to sell Lewandowski at the start of the game unless you make an offer that most will find it hard to resist.
Neymar
Estimated Transfer Cost: £100+ million
Best Roles: Deep Lying Forward, False Nine, Trequartista
Strengths:
Neymar is one of those strikers that blurs the lines between a traditional winger and forward (he really plays well as an inside forward that cuts into the pitch from the wing) – in essence, he is really more of a creative force, rather than a pure goal scoring machine. Typical of Brazilian strikers, he is extremely tricky on the ball due to a rating of 20 for Dribbling and 20 for Technique, along with 19 for Flair. Expect the unexpected for an individual like him, which is why he plays best as a deep lying forward who runs with the ball, or a False Nine or Trequartista that stretches the defensive line (especially those that plays a man-to-man marking system, with stats like that, it is common to see Neymar leaving his markers in the dust while weaving through the defence). Neymar is rated 14 and 15 respectively for Consistency and Important Matches.
Weaknesses:
It is practically impossible to sign him at the start of the first transfer window. Barcelona and Neymar has a real affinity for one another, and it takes some form of unsettling before you can even sign him for the following transfer season. His wages are an insane £500k per week, so be prepared to make room for not only his transfer fee, but also for his extravagant compensation package – I guess this is the price to pay for an individual who has all the required abilities to win games on his lonesome.
Karim Benzema
Estimated Transfer Cost: £65+ million
Best Roles: False Nine, Trequartista
Strengths:
Benzema not your typical striker, and would require a very specific tactical setup for him to really excel. Glancing across his stats, you will see that it would be a real waste to play him as a poacher or advanced forward – not that he is incapable of doing well in those roles, but his high mental attributes in Vision (18), Decision (17), Teamwork (15) really enables him to be an unselfish support False Nine or Trequartista. As a False Nine, his traits of Moving into Channel makes it ideal for him to drag opposing centerbacks out of position, whilst he is suited for being a Trequartista that links the midfield to strikers due to his creative attributes above, and ability to pick out a pass (15 for Passing, 18 for Technique).
Weaknesses:
Benzema is can be fairly inconsistent, as he is rated a mere 9 and 11 respectively for Consistency and Important Games. Furthermore, he is essentially at his prime when the first transfer window opens at the start of the game – you must already have a tactical setup that suits his unique style of play before it is worth spending good money to bring him into your squad.
Gonzalo Higuaín
Estimated Transfer Cost: £65+ million
Best Roles: Poacher, Advanced Forward
Strengths:
Higuaín is probably the best player to round up this list of best strikers in Football Manager 2017 – a quintessential poacher and goal scoring machine. Higuaín is often one of the players tipped to be a top scorer at the start of the season, which should not be a surprise given his excellent scores for Finishing (20), Off The Ball (18) and Composure (16), in addition to his trait of placing shots. He is at his peak at the start of the game at the age of 28 and will present an excellent option if your squad is lacking clinical goalscorers.
Weaknesses:
Be aware that Higuaín has a hidden Injury Proneness rating of 11, as such exercise extra caution in deploying Higuaín during parts of the season when there is little room between games for resting of legs. Have a good backup plan should Higuaín get injured, do not rely on him being fully fit throughout the entire season – this is unlikely to happen.
