We’re into 2026 and EAFC 26 is still going strong.
Ultimate Team may be the main focus of the game, but Career Mode has a special place in our hearts. That’s because you can start whenever you want, as many times as you want.
No matter who you’re managing the premise and aim of Manager Career — as it’s now called — remains the same. Winning the league and continental trophies, no matter where you start or who you manage.
And vital to winning games, is the attack. Some people like to play Vindaloo football, which is achieving results purely by outscoring opponents. And to do that, you need a top quality striker.
So who do you go for on EAFC 26? We’ve taken a look at some of the top centre-backs available to buy in your first window, across an array of transfer fees to make your job a tad easier.
We’re just looking at players available in the first window of Men’s Career Mode here, with finances in Women’s Career Mode much different.
Values and presence of release clauses may vary per save, while availability may vary depending on strictness of transfers.
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EAFC 26 best strikers to sign on Career Mode – Under £5m
Igor Tyjon (Blackburn)
- Initial EAFC 26 overall: 58
- Potential EAFC 26 overall: 82
- Value: £550k
It’s not easy to find strikers worth the fee you have to pay for them — at both ends of the scale. But for those operating on a bit more of a shoestring budget, Igor Tyjon looks a decent buy. The 17-year-old starts Manager Career with an Overall of 58, playing in the Championship with Blackburn Rovers. He boasts three-star Weak Foot and 63 Finishing, as well as 69 Pace. Tyjon also has decent Jumping and Heading Accuracy for someone of his quality, while sitting 5’11”. While you can’t improve his height, you can boost the other stats — and make him well-rounded.
Now, Tyjon only has the potential to grow to an Overall of 82. But this is for those who might be starting out with a lower-league side. He’ll take you to where you need to go, until you can afford a bigger-name replacement. You can get Tyjon for around £420k, despite Blackburn having recently signed him to a new contract.
Chido Obi (Man Utd)
- Initial EAFC 26 overall: 65
- Potential EAFC 26 overall: 84
- Value: £1.5m
Staying in England, we move up the pyramid to a well-known name in Chibo Obi at Manchester United. The 17-year-old has a lot of promise in the real world, and starts EAFC 26 with an Overall of 65. That already comes with 64 Shooting and 70 Pace, with 71 Agility and 67 Finishing. He has decent Shot Power and Composure for his initial Overall too. Not to mention the four-star Weak Foot — making him a danger either side of the attack.
Of course, the selling point is about his potential Overall of 84. While that might still not sound like much, it’s good for the price — as you’ll see as we go on. Man Utd will accept around £1.35m for Obi, but an extra obstacle will be those wage demands. That might cut Obi about of contention for some clubs.
Mihajlo Cvetkovic (Anderlecht)
- Initial EAFC 26 overall: 69
- Potential EAFC 26 overall: 84
- Value: £2.8m
We finish this section with another pretty cheap section for those looking to climb the leagues. Mihajlo Cvetkovic has a slightly higher starting Overall of 69, so will get into more teams from the off. He’s pretty decent across the board, with 69 Shooting only trailing his 71 Dribbling. The teenager also boasts three stars in Skill Moves and Weak Foot. He’s not the tallest, though, so you might want to avoid using him as a target man.
Cvetkovic has the potential to grow to 84 Overall, reaching a standard good enough for certain clubs. And Anderlecht will let him go for just under his value at £2.75m.
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EAFC 26 best strikers to sign on Career Mode – £5m – £20m
Nicolo Tresoldi (Club Brugge)
- Initial EAFC 26 overall: 72
- Potential EAFC 26 overall: 86
- Value: £4.9m
We remain in Belgium for our next pick, albeit slightly moving up the transfer fees. Nicolo Tresoldi is 20 at the start of Career Mode, so slightly older than some of the younger-rated players on the list. And he comes with an initial Overall of 72, which is good. His Pace of 77 is the standout stage, but he does also boast 68 Shooting, 69 Dribbling and 68 Physical. It’s the starting point for a good striker, particularly with four-star Weak Foot.
Tresoldi has good potential too, with the ability to rise to 86 Overall. He’s not valued too highly but Club Brugge still want above his valuation, at around £6.3m.
Charalampos Kostoulas (Brighton)
- Initial EAFC 26 overall: 73
- Potential EAFC 26 overall: 85
- Value: £6m
We’re returning to the Premier League, with a new arrival. But thankfully that isn’t an issue in Manager Career anymore. The only barrier are players on loan. Charalampos Kostoulas joined Brighton and Hove Albion from Olympiacos in the summer, arriving with his initial Overall of 73. Alongside his stats, the Greek striker also boasts three stars in both Skill Moves and Weak Foot, which is handy. His standout stat is his Pace of 85, but Kostoulas does still have 74 Finishing, 74 Dribbling and 76 Physical. His Jumping of 90 goes nicely with his 6’1″ frame.
The potential gets a bit better here, which is what makes Kostoulas even more appealing. The 18-year-old can grow to 85 Overall, and will become a decent striker. Brighton will want around £8m for the striker, which isn’t too bad.
Conrad Harder (RB Leipzig)
- Initial EAFC 26 overall: 75
- Potential EAFC 26 overall: 85
- Value: £10.5m
We’ve recommended Conrad Harder before, and he remains a good option even if RB Leipzig have snapped him up. Again, a recent move doesn’t prevent transfers offers anymore. Harder starts Manager Career with an Overall of 75, boasting three-star Skill Moves and Weak Foot. He has good Pace (74) and Dribbling (72), alongside his 76 Shooting. His Shot Power of 82 is particularly appealing. As is his 89 Jumping and 76 Heading Accuracy.
Harder has the potential to grow to 85, but the added bonus here is that he can also play LW, CAM and CM if you wanted to. Although we’re not sure why anyone would want to do the latter. RB Leipzig are aware of what they have on their hands, but they still accept around £14.5m for Harder.
EAFC 26 best strikers to sign on Career Mode – £20m and above
Joaquin Panichelli (Strasbourg)
- Initial EAFC 26 overall: 77
- Potential EAFC 26 overall: 85
- Value: £20.5m
We start this section with a Strasbourg striker. But perhaps not the one you’d expect. Joaquin Panichelli is one that catches our eye. The Argentinian striker is 22 at the start of Manager Career and has a good few attributes, with his best being Physical of 81. That includes 86 Strength and 81 Stamina. He won’t be bullied off the ball in his 6’3″ frame. Now, Panichelli is a little slow, but he’s an excellent target man with 89 Jumping, 84 Heading Accuracy and 80 Finishing. He’s also got respectable Skill Moves and Weak Foot.
Panichelli has the potential to grow to 85 Overall, and Strasbourg don’t want to lose another striker. So you’ll have to fork out around £23.3m for him.
Yoan Bonny (Lombardia FC)
- Initial EAFC 26 overall: 78
- Potential EAFC 26 overall: 86
- Value: £27.5m
Come on Yoan Bonny, score some goals for Swansea — if you’re managing Swans. Bonny actually plays for Inter Milan (Lombardia FC in EAFC speak), and is obviously no relation to Wilfried Bony. But he does have an initial Overall of 78 which is pretty decent. Your eyes will immediately go to Bonny’s 87 Pace, but don’t let that overshadow his 76 Shooting, which is pretty solid across the board accept for the slightly lower Penalties and Volleys. Bonny also has good Dribbling to go with his four-star Skill Moves. And his three-star Weak Foot isn’t too bad either.
Bonny has the potential to grow to 86 Overall, so his key stats will all grow to make him one of the better strikers in the game. Lombardia/Inter Milan will want around £33m for Bonny.
Hugo Ekitike (Liverpool)
- Initial EAFC 26 overall: 85
- Potential EAFC 26 overall: 88
- Value: £64m
Finally, Hugo Ekitike. The Frenchman is probably the best already-established striker you can get without forking out £100m — among those with good longevity, of course. Ekitike’s initial Overall is 85, which includes 86 Finishing and 86 Positioning. The Liverpool man is very good on the ball, thanks to his 85 Dribbling and 86 Pace, which might make him a good option as CAM — especially if you utilise his four-star Skill Moves.
But we are sold on him as a striker too. Ekitike has the potential to grow to 88 Overall, making him one of the better strikers in your save. That does come at a price, though. Liverpool won’t let you talk to Ekitike unless you come up with around £85m.