It’s a new EA FC season and EA FC 25 brings a whole host of improvements to this year’s game. From untradeable duplicate storage to the reintroduction of relegations in higher Rivals divisions, there’s plenty to get stuck into. The biggest change, however, is FC IQ which revamps tactics and opens up a realm of possibilities in ways you can use players.
We’ve had an in-depth play with the game, looked at the best players EA FC 25 has to offer and their Player Roles to determine 10 of the best cheap beasts you can buy at the start of the game to get a leg up in Ultimate Team as you strive for gold. Ultimately, you'll want to buy the eight new Icons and 13 new Heroes but these players can help you now, as you get to grips with the game-changing updates of this edition.
Note: Every player on this list is under 10,000 coins at the time of writing. Prices may vary based on the launch of the game and in-game market trends.
Cheap beasts on EA FC 25: 1. Maxence Lacroix
88 pace and Ball-Playing Defender +, Maxence Lacroix is going to be in most Premier League starter squads and there’s good reason for it. This 6’3 beast is a monster for the start of the game and pairs up nicely with a slower centreback. This year's Player Roles are very important and while he doesn’t have any ++ options, I really like Ball-Playind Defender + to help play out from the back. You can pick Lacroix up for around 3,000 coins and with links to Crystal Palace, Premier League, and French players, he’s an absolute steal.
2. Ewa Pajor
Ewa Pajor can play as a striker or left winger and she’s devastating at both. On the pricier side, close to the 10,000 coin budget we set, Pajor is an absolute gem at the start of the game with 88 pace and 88 shooting stats. With links to all of Barcelona Women’s incredible players like Aitana Bonmati and Caroline Graham Hansen, Pajor is a number 9 you’ll be able to keep in your squad for a few months. With Advanced Forward + could she be the Luis Muriel of EA FC 25? Expect to find her in most squads on the first week of Rivals.
3. Viktor Gyökeres
What is there to say about Gyökeres? Maybe his chemistry links aren’t the best but he has 90 pace, 83 shooting, and 91 physical card stats for roughly 7,000 coins. That’s just ridiculous, especially considering Premier League players with far worse stats are selling for nearly 30,000 coins. You might struggle to fit him into your team with max chemistry because of his Swedish and Portuguese League links, but if you can this guy is a cheaper version of Haaland, except he has 5 star weak foot. Absolutely insane.
4. Michael Olise
Olise can be found for under 1,000 coins at the time of writing and while he may seem slow on paper with 80 pace, you shouldn’t overlook this monster. With 4 star skills, Olise is a brilliant right-sided player for the start of the game and has the Finesse shot Playstyle to take advantage of weaker goalkeepers in lower divisions.
5. Joe Gomez
Every year Joe Gomez is an absolute beast and this year he’s better than ever before. Use the Power Surge Evolution followed by the Club Member Reward Evolution and you’re 80 Gomez transforms into an 89 pace 84-rated version. With great strength and speed, Gomez could be your bruiser at the back for a few months with these kinds of stats. Best of all, he’s available for around 3,500 coins.
6. Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Loftus-Cheek is another player who can be drastically improved using Evolutions, just add Intro to Stat Limits followed by From Box-to-Box and you’ve got yourself an 84-rated centre midfielder. With 4-star skills and 4-star weak foot, this is one of the best midfield cards under 20,000 coins, let alone 10,000. Pick him up, you won’t be disappointed.
7. Ferdi Kadıoğlu
I love the Falseback Role in this year’s FC, so I’ve been using Brighton’s Kadıoğlu with his 88 pace to really take advantage of using a fullback in midfield. You can add a variety of Evolutions to this card, but even without them, he’s pretty impressive. With 90 acceleration and a variety of 70-rated defending attributes, this could be the best gold card you can pick up at the start of the game for under 5,000 coins.
8. Asisat Oshoala
Oshoala was amazing last year in EA FC 24 and even though she’s moved to Bay FC in the NWSL she’s still a brilliant striker to lead your line. 4-star skills and 4-star weak foot this early on in the game is deadly and her stats are awesome to match with 91 pace, 84 shooting, and 85 dribbling. If that wasn’t enough, she’s got vibrant bright hair in-game too which is perfect for dunking on your opponents.
9. Cole Palmer
Ok, he doesn’t have great pace for a right midfielder but with inside Forward ++, Cole Palmer is one of the best right-sided players in the Premier League. He’s a pretty versatile card that can be played as a Shadow Striker + too, so find a way to fit him into your team and you won’t regret it. Combine his card with any pace increase Chemistry Style and you’ll have a gold card ready to take on any backline.
10. Kai Havertz
Last but not least, Havertz is really fun to use because of his custom build, which almost feels like a Peter Crouch regen in the game. He can play as an Advanced Forward + striker or a Half Winger + centre midfielder, with 4-star skills and 4-star weak foot, too. I’ve been using Havertz in a two-striker formation and he’s been a joy to use, thanks to his silky skill moves and Technical dribbling Playstyle. He’s very cheap at around 900 coins, so if you’re looking for a fun player to use, Kai is the one.
