Best Teams to Manage in FM27: 20 Save Ideas for Every Kind of Manager

Choosing your first save is the biggest decision in Football Manager 27 (FM27), so here are the best teams to manage in FM27 for every kind of manager. They're grouped by the save you fancy: a giant that expects trophies, a fallen giant to rebuild, a young squad full of wonderkids, a lower league club to take to the top, or a women's side.

Every club comes with real numbers from the FM27 database: your starting transfer budget, the first team's average age, how many wonderkids are already there and how many first-team contracts end this season.

How we picked the best FM27 teams to manage

We loaded a new FM27 game with every player in the database (more than 557,000 of them) and pulled the numbers for every club at the start of the 2026/27 season. Then we picked clubs that each offer a different kind of story.

A few terms used below:

• Squad strength is a star rating for the best eleven players, using the same idea as FM's own stars: 5 is world class, 4 a top club, 3 a solid top-flight side, 2 a lower league side.
• Wonderkids are players aged 20 or under with top-level potential. Our FM27 wonderkids list names the best 150.
• Contracts ending counts first-team players whose deals run out on or before 30 June 2027.
• Budget is the transfer budget the board gives you on day one. It can change once the game is fully released, and we'll update this page if it does.

Giants who expect trophies

Arsenal

The champions, and the easiest place to start. Arsenal have the biggest transfer budget in FM27 at about £153m, a four-star squad built around Declan Rice and not a single first-team contract running out this season. The challenge is keeping it going: defend the title, win the Champions League and blood the next wave, led by Myles Lewis-Skelly, 16-year-old Max Dowman and 16-year-old centre-back Marli Salmon.

Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappé leads the line, but the real story is behind him. Real Madrid have 16 wonderkids, more than any other club in the game, including Yan Diomandé, Arda Güler and Dean Huijsen. With £43m to spend, this is a save about choosing which young stars to trust and which to sell for a fortune.

Barcelona

The La Liga champions have Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí and Gavi, and 10 wonderkids in all. The budget is a tighter £21m, so you'll need to sell before you buy. If you like building around a generational talent, start here.

Manchester United

Third last season, seven wonderkids, Bruno Fernandes still running the show, and only £14m to spend. Four first-team contracts end this season, so your first big decision is who to keep. Kobbie Mainoo, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven give you a young spine to build around.

Fallen giants to rebuild

Tottenham

Spurs only just stayed up, finishing 17th, but they still have a three-and-a-half-star squad and £26m to fix it. Seventeen-year-old Luca Williams-Barnett is one of the best young players in the game, and Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray are already good enough to play. Turning this around quickly is very doable.

West Ham

West Ham finished 18th and dropped into the Championship, but they start with £25m to spend, far more than most of the league. Jarrod Bowen is still there. This is the classic bounce-back save: win promotion in year one, then build a side that stays up.

Leicester

Leicester finished 23rd in the Championship last season, so FM27 starts with them in League One. You have £1m to spend and a squad that should be one of the best in the division. Eighteen-year-old Louis Page and versatile defender Bade Aluko are the young players to build around. Can you take them back to the Premier League?

Sheffield Wednesday

The hardest save on this list. Wednesday finished bottom of the Championship, start in League One with no transfer budget at all, and 13 first-team players have contracts ending this season. That's a problem and an opportunity: you can rebuild the whole squad with free agents and loans. Our free agents and loan targets lists are a good place to start, and 16-year-old Dennis Kohn is one to keep.

Sevilla

Thirteenth in La Liga is a long way below where Sevilla expect to be. You have £13m and a crop of young central midfielders in Edu Altozano, Nico Guillén and Manu Bueno. Get them playing and push back into Europe.

Young squads full of wonderkids

Chelsea

Nine wonderkids, the youngest first team of any Premier League giant and £52m to spend. Chelsea finished 10th, so the board wants progress, but you have Estêvão, Jorrel Hato and Jamie Gittens to build with, plus Reece James. No first-team contracts run out this season, so you can plan long term.

Benfica

Benfica sell their best young players every summer, and in FM27 they have eight more coming through, led by Daniel Banjaqui, Gianluca Prestianni and 16-year-old João Silva. Win the league, develop the kids and decide whether to sell them for big money or keep them and chase the Champions League.

AZ

Eight wonderkids at a club with just £7m to spend. AZ are the perfect youth save: Andrea Natali, Kees Smit and Ayoub Oufkir are the start of a side that could take on Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord. The youth academy does a lot of the work for you.

Red Bull Salzburg

One of the youngest first teams in Europe, averaging just 23. Salzburg have £12m and young players in every area of the pitch, and the model is simple: develop, sell, replace. Try to win the Austrian league and go further in Europe than anyone expects.

Lower league clubs to take to the top

Wrexham

Wrexham's climb has been one of football's great stories, and they finished seventh in the Championship last season, just short of the play-offs. With £1m and a settled squad, the Premier League is a realistic target in your first two seasons.

Bradford City

Bradford finished fourth in League One and have one of the bigger budgets in the division at £800k. Ten first-team contracts end this season, so you'll reshape the squad either way. A big club with big crowds that should be higher up.

Barnsley

The youngest first team in English league football on our list, averaging 22.3, with no transfer budget. Barnsley are a pure development save: play the kids, sell well and climb. Our lower league gems list has players a budget like this can actually afford.

Burton Albion

Burton finished 17th in League One with a squad averaging 22.8, and 16 first-team contracts end this season, the most on our list. You'll rebuild almost from scratch on £100k. Perfect if you love finding bargains and free agents.

Women's teams to manage

Chelsea

Chelsea finished third last season, so the target is obvious: win the WSL back. They have the strongest squad on this list, led by Lauren James, and seven wonderkids including Alyssa Thompson, Veerle Buurman and Wieke Kaptein.

London City

London City finished sixth and have spent big to get there. Their squad is already rated three and a half stars, and 21-year-old Freya Godfrey is the young attacker to build around. Turn a new club into champions.

Manchester United

Fourth last season, a strong squad led by Maya Le Tissier, and Ellen Wangerheim up front. Nine first-team contracts end this season, so there's room to rebuild your way and push for the title.

Which team should you manage in FM27?

If you want an easy first season, pick Arsenal or Real Madrid. If you want a project, pick Tottenham, West Ham or Chelsea. If you want a real test, pick Sheffield Wednesday, Burton Albion or Barnsley and build from nothing.

Whichever club you choose, our FM27 lists will help you find the players to sign. FM Shadow Scout can recommend players from your own save without showing any hidden numbers.

Questions

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