How to Sign Untouchables

I am playing with Valencia well into 2014-015 season. Its a difficult time to manage considering the dearth of talent. Although there are plenty of regens around no one seems to be good enough according your 20 20 Scouts (Judging Potential, Ability). Also since i am a Spanish side i want to have a certain number of Spanish players in my team. Its surprising not a lot of good Spanish regens are available in comparison to Italians, French or Brazilians.

If you want to sign real players it seems pretty much impossible. Although the players are extremely interested in joining Valencia, the clubs wont sell them for anything. Consider Ignacio Camacho who if i sign will be my second or third choice DM behind Obi Mikel and Javi Garcia, and based on the players ability he is not worth more than 15 Mill. I just want to sign him to increase the number of Spanish based players. But its impossible unless i pay 50-60 Mill Pounds. Now is this is a bug or is it just in my game. Like Camacho, César Azpilicueta, Fabregas, Pedro, etc etc are all untouchables. Their respective clubs just wont sell them even if i offer a ridiculous bid including star players and cash. Is there anyway to overcome this? Not just Spanish players, around this time most players you want to sign are untouchables. The dearth of pleasing transfer activity really does kill the game. Any tips or advice? Thanks in advance

no it's not a bug, the whole transfer module sucks and has done for years. The major problem isn't the fact you'll end up having to pay ridiculous amounts for average/good players (not talking about the great players here), it's the lack of transfer activity from the AI. You just need to look at the transfer list when you fire up the game to see what i mean. All but a selected few ever get sold, and almost all the original transfer listed players remain on the list until their contracts expire.

You'll also note the AI never attempts to prize top players away from major clubs, they just go for the second tier players. For example, unless Milan transfer list Pato, no AI club will ever attempt to bid for such players.

Going by FM standards, Kaka and Ronaldo would never have joined Real Madrid because 1) Real Madrid wouldn't have bid for them and 2) Man U and Milan wouldn't have accepted such bids.

Erm...that's not necessarily the case. Pato got signed by Juve for 45 million on mine, and Fabregas left for Madrid for 60 million as well. I assume it's save-dependent, but to generalize like you did about the entire game is just wrong. True, there is less activity involving top players, but there is enough. I remember on FM09, before Ronaldo left for Madrid in real life, he got sold to them for 70 million in-game. So it does happen.

Thanks guys for the feedback. It can be save dependent, but when it comes to real players you have to end up paying big sums even for average ones. Certainly hope the transfer system is better in the new FM. Because in a scenario like above when you cant buy good players it kills your motivation to continue the game beyond a point.

This is for GD.

To "cheat" the system just be patient. You wouldn't believe how many good players you can snatch up if you offer them contracts if they have 6 months left. As for top players they always will be available for top prize. Unsettle them by commenting on their form, abilities etc.

Consider Ignacio Camacho who if i sign will be my second or third choice DM behind Obi Mikel and Javi Garcia,

Camacho always seems quality to me, almost always becomes a top transfer target of mine. Make sure you tap up the players for ages before you try to sign them.

Can't stress enough the impact of using the media to get the top players. You need to keep commenting on them periodically until you're in their favoured personnel list. Then you can start offering bids to unsettle them. Once they're unsettled their clubs are more likely to sell. It took how many years of speculation to get Ronaldo to Madrid, Henry to Barca and, sadly, Fabregas' inevitable move to Camp Nou too. That's just the way it goes for the top tier players. I remember stories about Fergie sending Mexes Christmas cards while he was at Auxerre. I think it's a fairly realistic system. Dynamic league rep in FM11 could play a big role too in longer term saves.

To "cheat" the system just be patient. You wouldn't believe how many good players you can snatch up if you offer them contracts if they have 6 months left. As for top players they always will be available for top prize. Unsettle them by commenting on their form, abilities etc.

This and attention to detail.

I've signed most of my main "big name" targets, by being patient, keeping an eye on them and making comments fairly regularly. Currently, I'm looking to sign Fabregas for my Granada CF side. I've been praising him and showing interest for the last two seasons, in which time my side is now dominating Spanish football and has won the Europa League and Champions League. He has been responding with interest, now has less than a year on his contract and I'm on his favoured personnel list.

I have made approaches for him in that time, but Arsenal wanted in excess of 100 million pounds. I wasn't prepared to pay that, even being flush with funds following a takeover in pre-season after my promotion from the Liga adelante to Liga BBVA.

He's beginning to become unsettled now at Arsenal, because of my continued interest. It's now looking more likely that I'll be able to sign him on a free transfer pre-contract this coming January in my save.

If the player is indeed extremely interested to join you, I usually use these steps to bring down the price.

1. Do the comment on player through media once a month (no more than once a month because it has a negative effect if done more than once a month)

2. Do it until you have become his favourite personnel

3. Make a non-negotiable offer expiring in 1 week, just a few mill short enough to be rejected. (higher rejected bid the better, but the bid has to be rejected)

4. Keep doing it until he is unsettled or unhappy.

5. If he is not becoming unhappy, then he is too satisfied with his current club and you need to find an opening when he gets annoyed at his manager or something like that.

6. Doing these things will give you more chance of signing the player for a reasonable price, but it does not always work.

I was tracking Higuain for 2 seasons. I unsettled him enough to not sign a new contract for Madrid. And January rolls around and I can sign on a free and what does he do? Sign with Liverpool.

Tbf I was Stuttgart.

The other, more expensive way to sign 'untouchables' is to go to Spain and sign good players with small minimum release clauses. That's how I basically bought Villarreal's 3 top players (all newgens), including their captain, for less than US$15 million. :D

i have seen enough players become available on my game over time. im in 2016 and signed akinfeev and balotelli for a combined 12m inside the last couple of seasons. also seen dani alves, ribery and sanchez listed amongst others. also seen defour move on a free and shockingly messi joined arsenal at the age of 29 for 48m.

truth is if a player is really that good for a team, then why would they sell him unless a stupid offer got made

If the player is indeed extremely interested to join you, I usually use these steps to bring down the price.

1. Do the comment on player through media once a month (no more than once a month because it has a negative effect if done more than once a month)

2. Do it until you have become his favourite personnel

3. Make a non-negotiable offer expiring in 1 week, just a few mill short enough to be rejected. (higher rejected bid the better, but the bid has to be rejected)

4. Keep doing it until he is unsettled or unhappy.

5. If he is not becoming unhappy, then he is too satisfied with his current club and you need to find an opening when he gets annoyed at his manager or something like that.

6. Doing these things will give you more chance of signing the player for a reasonable price, but it does not always work.

This.

Remember hoooww long madrid had to woo ronaldo? Every week every moth there would be a story in the media, in press conferences etc.

I was tracking Higuain for 2 seasons. I unsettled him enough to not sign a new contract for Madrid. And January rolls around and I can sign on a free and what does he do? Sign with Liverpool.

Tbf I was Stuttgart.

The other, more expensive way to sign 'untouchables' is to go to Spain and sign good players with small minimum release clauses. That's how I basically bought Villarreal's 3 top players (all newgens), including their captain, for less than US$15 million. :D

The flip side of the Minimum Release Clause is to remember that you're in the same boat, and to set yours as high as is realistically possible; remember, it's not the minimum you'll sell for, just the minimum amount you'd be happy getting. If a player's young, fantastic, and a crucial cog in your team, don't set his minimum release clause at 25 million; jack it up to like 75-100 million, ensuring that you hold all the cards if he goes. Either you get to dictate the price, or you get a huge payout...win-win.

You don't need to set a minimum release clause unless you manage a Spanish team