FM27 squad planning: give every signing a responsibility

Build a depth chart of jobs rather than famous names

List the responsibilities in the tactic you intend to use, then identify a credible starter and an available alternative for each. Include the work without the ball as well as the contribution in possession. A squad can contain many attackers and still lack the particular connection or protective duty that makes its chosen shape function.

Separate confirmed cover from a possibility you still need to investigate. A player’s public position code is useful for discovery, but it does not prove they are an equally good alternative in every role. Use the report and known attributes in your own save before counting a promising name as a solved vacancy.

Compare the recruitment routes against the same brief

For an immediate gap, compare internal cover, a loan and a permanent option without changing the job description between them. A loan may solve a short window but leave the same succession problem later; a young permanent signing may need opportunities before offering dependable cover. Inspect the terms and availability instead of assuming one route is always cheaper.

Use a named recruitment focus or equivalent tool only as it appears in the current build. Define the position, responsibility, time horizon and evidence you want the scout to return. This page does not invent a complete FM27 Recruitment Focus dialog. The scouting guide owns report evaluation, while the transfer guide handles the actual proposed commitment.

Keep the shortlist connected to the next decision

Filter one database snapshot to identify candidates for the same vacancy, save a small group and open their source records before comparing. Export the filtered list if you want to add your own offer and report notes. Do not combine the Preview-save ability table with source-listed free agents and present the result as a single comparable numerical ranking.

Review the shortlist after an arrival, departure, injury or major tactical change. Remove candidates whose proposed opportunity no longer exists and keep a fallback for the role still exposed. At the next window, compare what the previous signing actually did with the original brief. A larger database or a full favorites list is useful only when it helps answer a specific squad decision.

1. Name the vacancy

   Write the job, horizon and constraint.

2. Inspect internal cover

   Decide whether development or a changed responsibility can solve it.

3. Shortlist within a snapshot

   Use relevant positions and source-reported fields, retaining unknowns.

4. Recheck before an offer

   Confirm the actual report, eligibility and total terms in the save.