EA Sports FC 26 is in full swing.
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.
We’ve covered centre-backs, strikers, wingers and goalkeepers you need to sign in Manager Career, and now it’s time to move onto the defensive midfielders. It’s a position of increasing importance, and some title-winning teams are built off the right No.6. That’s why they cost a lot of money.
But who do you go for on EAFC 26? We’ve taken a look at some of the top CDMs 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 CDMs to sign on Career Mode – Under £5m
Mussa Kaba (Borussia Dortmund)
- Initial EAFC 26 overall: 61
- Potential EAFC 26 overall: 85
- Value: £850k
Our quest for CDMs starts in Germany with Mussa Kaba. The German midfielder plies his trade with Borussia Dortmund and has an initial Overall of 61. That may already put some off, but we’re not looking for the immediate world-beaters at this level. This is all about the growth. Kaba boasts 60 Defending and 58 Physical, and will be an imposing figure in front of defences with his 6’6″ frame. But he’s not just a destroyer. Kaba also boasts 59 Passing and three-star Weak Foot, both very good for his starting level.
We’re all about the potential here, though. And Kaba can grow to 85 Overall, which is a big boost of +24. Despite that, Dortmund will happily accept around £650k, which is less than his value.
Nathan De Cat (Anderlecht)
- Initial EAFC 26 overall: 68
- Potential EAFC 26 overall: 87
- Value: £2.5m
We move our search for CDMs over to Belgium, with an interesting player. Nathan De Cat is 17 years old and starts EAFC 26 Manager Career with an Overall of 68. He’s 6’4″ with 68 Strength and 68 Stand Tackle, which is a decent starting point in stopping opposition midfields. As you’d expect, De Cat is also decent in the air, boasting 69 Jumping and 65 Heading Accuracy. Again, these are all decent starting points and relevant to his initial rating — as is his 69 Short Passing.
The Belgian has the potential to grow to 87 Overall, which is pretty darn decent. There’s a lot of work to be done on De Cat, so Anderlecht will allow him to leave for around £2.1m — lower than his value.
Jorthy Mokio (Ajax)
- Initial EAFC 26 overall: 70
- Potential EAFC 26 overall: 88
- Value: £3.2m
We’ve already spoken about Jorthy Mokio in our look at the best Manager Career wonderkids. So you shouldn’t be surprised to see him on this list. He’s fantastic. The Dutchman has an initial Overall of 70, so won’t get into a lot of bigger teams immediately. But the mid-level clubs can certainly fit him in. The teenager’s highest attribute is his 71 Dribbling, which includes 73 Ball Control, but his 69 Pace isn’t too far behind. He also has 68 Defending, which includes 71 Stand Tackle. Even his 64 Passing is good, when you look at his 71 Long Passing and 74 Short Passing — the overall attribute is let down by his curve and free-kick accuracy, which you won’t need. His four-star Weak Foot is an excellent base.
Mokio is all about the potential. The Dutchman has the potential to grow to 88 Overall, becoming one of the best CDMs in Manager Career. Despite this, Ajax will accept slightly over his value, at around £3.3m. It’s a must-do.
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EAFC 26 best CDMs to sign on Career Mode – £5m – £20m
Marc Bernal (Barcelona)
- Initial EAFC 26 overall: 75
- Potential EAFC 26 overall: 86
- Value: £9.5m
Moving slightly up the price list, we find Marc Bernal. The Spaniard is 18 at the start of Manager Career and comes with an initial Overall of 75. It’s not wonderful but he’ll get into a fair few teams if you’re willing. A product of Barcelona’s academy, you won’t be surprised to see Bernal’s 71 Passing, including 78 Short Passing. Nor his 74 Dribbling, with 77 Ball Control. But he can put himself about too, boasting 75 Stand Tackle and 73 Slide Tackle. Bernal isn’t small either, standing 6’4″ with 75 Strength.
All of this will only get better as Bernal nears his potential of 86 — a decent level. Despite his value being slightly higher, Barcelona will accept around £9m for Bernal if you include a sell-on clause.
Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton)
- Initial EAFC 26 overall: 76
- Potential EAFC 26 overall: 84
- Value: £13.5m
We move over to the Premier League with our next pick, Jack Hinshelwood. The Brighton and Hove Albion man can play in a variety of positions, which already adds to his usefulness. With an initial Overall of 76, Hinshelwood will also get into quite a few teams, boasting 74 Passing and Dribbling. In fact, four of his six base attributes are 70+, and the two that aren’t (Pace and Shooting) you’ll be fine without. His 84 Jumping and 77s in Long and Short Passing standout from among the finer details.
Now, Hinshelwood does only have the potential to go to 84 Overall — there isn’t a great offering among this price range — so we’d recommend either forking out a bit more for who comes next, or saving money on someone before. But if Hinshelwood does float your boat, Brighton will accept around £14m for him.
Archie Gray (Tottenham)
- Initial EAFC 26 overall: 77
- Potential EAFC 26 overall: 86
- Value: £18.5m
Archie Gray completes this section, keeping us in the Premier League. The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder is an interesting prospect with an initial Overall of 77. He may make it into some starting XIs outside of the bigger clubs. Two of Gray’s attributes stand at 74, and they’re key for his role in Dribbling and Defending. His Physical isn’t too far behind on 73 — while Pace and Passing aren’t too bad either. Only his Shooting lets him down, but that’s not an issue. Gray is a good tackler with 76 Stand Tackle and 74 Slide Tackle, but he also boasts four-star Skill Moves.
Gray has the potential to grow to 86 Overall, which is pretty decent. Tottenham know what they have on their hands, but they will still accept around £19m with a sell-on clause.
EAFC 26 best CDMs to sign on Career Mode – £20m and above
Ardon Jashari (Milano FC)
- Initial EAFC 26 overall: 77
- Potential EAFC 26 overall: 86
- Value: £19m
Onto the big boys, and you’ll want to make sure you’re not getting played by selling clubs. Ardon Jashari is our first CDM, with an initial Overall of 77 at AC Milan, sorry, Milano FC. The Swiss midfielder boasts 81 Physical which includes an incredible 87 Stamina — he’s a little Duracell bunny. His Strength of 80 isn’t too bad either. Jashari also boasts 80 Short Passing and 72 Stand Tackle, which you can improve. His four-star Weak Foot goes nicely with all this, making him a good all-round player.
In terms of potential, Jashari can rise to 86 Overall, so all of those stats will only get better. Jashari can actually be listed for loan at the start, but if you want him permanently you’ll have to pay around £21m.
Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich)
- Initial EAFC 26 overall: 82
- Potential EAFC 26 overall: 87
- Value: £37m
Moving up the list in terms of price and initial Overall, we come to Aleksandar Pavlovic. The Bayern Munich midfielder starts Manager Career at 82, so can fit into a lot of teams. He’s pretty well-rounded in the right attributes including 82 Passing and 78 Defending. Breaking things down a bit more, Pavlovic actually boasts 85 in Long Passing and 87 in Short Passing, while his Slide Tackle (78) slightly outranks his Stand Tackle (77). He also has four-star Weak Foot and three-star Skill Moves.
The German midfielder has the potential to grow to 87 Overall, becoming one of the better players in his position. But Bayern know what they’ve got, and won’t let Pavlovic go unless you fork out around £43m.
Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool)
- Initial EAFC 26 overall: 86
- Potential EAFC 26 overall: 89
- Value: £72.5m
Our final CDM is a well-known name, Ryan Gravenberch. You can go even higher-rated than him, but you’ll need Scrooge McDuck levels of money to do so. Gravenberch has an initial Overall of 86 and will get into most, if not all, teams straight away. Four of his six base attributes are in the 80s with his Dribbling the best (85). But we’re very happy with his 81 in Passing as well as 80s in Defending and Physical. These include 88 Interceptions, 82 Stand Tackle, 86 Short Passing and 84 Long Passing. He can do a lot. Gravenberch also boasts 85 Stamina alongside four-star Skill Moves and Weak Foot.
The Dutchman has the potential to grow to 88 overall, with only a couple being better than him. Of course, Liverpool won’t let Gravenberch go without a fight. So you’ll have to fork out around £95m. This is very much for those who can afford to break the bank, and don’t want to wait.