How much to pay for a player in an online football manager game

Knowing how much to pay for a player is probably the most common financial decision in any football manager. In ELDT, all transfers are decided in auctions, so there’s no fixed price: there’s a market value that serves as a reference, and then there’s whatever each club is prepared to put in. In this guide, we explain where that value comes from, what it does not measure, and how to set your own number before you bid.

What market value is

Every player has a market value that the game recalculates automatically. It comes from three things: OVR, age and position. It does not depend on the division they play in or who owns them. It’s the same formula for every club.

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The value is not the price. It’s a reference shown on every market card alongside the current bid. The real price is set by the auction: a player can end up going quite a bit above or below that figure.

How much to pay for a player according to OVR

OVR is the player’s overall level in their position, on a scale from 1 to 20. The important thing is that value doesn’t grow in a straight line: each OVR point is worth more than the last. Going from an OVR 10 player to an OVR 15 player does not cost 50% more, it costs well over double.

That has a practical consequence. The early OVR points are cheap and the last ones are very expensive. If your squad has a big hole in one position, it can sometimes make more sense to pay for a decent player to cover it than to spend everything on a star for another role. To understand which attributes make up each position’s OVR, see the guide to which attributes matter by position.

Age: the factor that moves value the most

On top of the base OVR value, age applies a multiplier:

• Under 19: x0,85.
• 19 to 21: x1,10.
• 22 to 27: x1,15 (the peak).
• 28 to 30: x1,00.
• 31 to 33: x0,70.
• 34 to 36: x0,40.
• 37 or more: x0,20.

Look at the jump between 30 and 31: with the same OVR, the player is suddenly worth 30% less. For buyers, the 28 to 30 bracket is usually a good one: they perform just like a 25-year-old with the same OVR, but they cost less. For sellers, it’s best not to wait until the player turns 31.

Age also matters for a player’s future. Younger players make much better use of training, and from a certain age onwards they barely improve. We explain that in the guide to how to train players.

Position also matters

At the same OVR and age, some positions are worth more than others:

• Striker: x1,15.
• Playmaker (attacking midfielder): x1,10.
• Central midfielder and wingers: x1,05.
• Centre-back, defensive midfielder and wide midfielders: x1,00.
• Goalkeepers and full-backs: x0,85.

It’s not that a goalkeeper matters less on the pitch. It’s just how the market values them. If you’re after a goalkeeper or a full-back, the same level usually costs less.

What market value does not measure: potential

The value formula uses today’s OVR. It does not include potential. That’s why a youngster with lots of room to grow often goes for more than their market value in auction: managers pay for what they think the player will become, not just what they are now.

That gives you two useful angles:

• If you buy a young player, the market value will often look low compared with the price paid. That’s normal.
• If you buy a veteran, what you pay is almost entirely for the present. There’s no future improvement to make up for it.

In the market you can filter and sort by potential, so you don’t need to guess. The Market Analyst, under Staff, also gives you more data on market players according to their level. And remember: potential is a ceiling, not a promise. To reach it, the player needs minutes and training, and the older they get, the less each week helps.

Use similar sales as a yardstick

On each auction page you have Similar sales: what has been paid in the last 14 days for players in the same area of the pitch and with a similar level. It’s the best way to see what the market is really doing that week, beyond the formula.

Add up everything you’ll pay

Before setting a number, work out the full cost:

1. The winning bid.
2. The 10% commission paid by the buyer.
3. The weekly wage you’ll take on from the next close of accounts. A player’s wage rises with OVR.
4. What else you can no longer do with that money: a stadium upgrade, a staff member, another player.

If you buy a player for $10M, $11M comes out of your cash there and then.

How to set your ceiling

A sensible way to think about your ceiling:

1. Use market value as your starting point.
2. Adjust for what the value does not measure: potential, whether they fill an urgent hole in your squad, whether they play in your weakest position.
3. Check similar sales from the last 14 days.
4. Subtract the commission from your available cash and review the upcoming payments.
5. Set that number as your maximum bid and don’t change it on the fly.

Step five is the one that saves you the most money. The maximum bid exists precisely so you decide the number with a cool head. We explain it in the guide to how to buy players.

One detail about bots

When you’re leading an auction, clubs managed by the computer only bid up to 70% of the player’s market value. If your bid has already gone past that line, the bot will not chase you. The only people who can push the price higher are other managers.

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To keep learning

You can find all the market rules in market help and a summary in transfer market. If you come across a term you don’t know, it’s in the glossary.

Create your club and enter the market →