So you fancy being the next Pep Guardiola? Then expect a tough time at Manchester City, where the board expects nothing less than success.
Relax, though, as Football FanCast are here with a team guide for the Cityzens, ideal for your FIFA 19 Career Mode journey.
The board’s expectations
You will be following a huge season under the Spaniard and the powers that be demand you follow suit on a higher level.
In your first season at the helm, you are tasked with retaining the Premier League trophy, but also adding to it with the FA Cup and the Citizens’ first Champions League triumph.
The transfer kitty
As you would expect with the Etihad club, you are handed a sizeable transfer budget to play with.
Starting off, City Football Group Limited offer £168.3million for your transfer dealings and a wage budget of £328,000 – more than enough to dip your toe into the market to replace some of the ageing members of the squad.
Three players to buy
Gianluigi Donnarumma
City are gifted with one of the best goalkeepers, not just in the Premier League, but in world football, yet Ederson has no adequate number two.
The answer? AC Milan’s 19-year-old Gianluigi Donnarumma, who starts the game as an 82 rated monster that will only get better and better until he reaches his potential 93 rating – the highest in the game for a goalie.
Matthijs de Ligt
Make a real life transfer rumour come true with the signing of Ajax wonderkid Matthijs de Ligt.
The 19-year-old is hotly anticipated to go on to become one of the best defenders around, and the game matches that with a potential rating of 91, yet he carries the stats of a first-team regular already – including 87 strength, 83 marking and 75 reactions.
Thomas Partey
When you win the league by 19 points, it would be weird to think a team has a weak position, but at Manchester City that is the defensive midfielder slot.
Fernandinho may start life as an 86-rated CDM – the fourth highest on the game – but at 33, he’s stretching beyond his peak. Thomas Partey, on the other hand, is only just beginning.
At 25, you can rest easy knowing you have a star in your ranks for years to come. The Atletico Madrid ace can also fill in at right-back and right midfield with his 87 stamina, 81 ball control and 85 short passing.
Three players to sell
Eliaquim Mangala
When a transfer fails in real life and the player flops, they may still be good on FIFA. That, however, is far from the case with centre-back Eliaquim Mangala.
Man City paid big for his services in 2014, when the Frenchman joined from FC Porto having been the best defender in Liga NOS, but he should be nowhere near the first team in your career mode with a hoard of average stats and no real potential to develop.
Vincent Kompany
Unlike Mangala, Kompany is still a rock at the back when you start your career, but at 32 his best days are behind him.
Regardless, his £150,000 a week contract stipulates that he is an ‘important’ player in the squad, so he will demand to be played more than you put him on the bench, and his £19.5million valuation should encourage you to hit the transfer list button from the off.
Claudio Bravo
You can get away with keeping Claudio Bravo in your squad if you only plan on carrying out one season with Manchester City. The 35-year-old will offer an adequate back up to Ederson, right up until when the Brazilian gets injured and you actually need to play him.
The 6 foot ‘keeper will ship in goals and it won’t be fun, so save yourself the hassle and get rid when you can.
Three for the future
Phil Foden
He's one of the brightest talents to come out of Manchester City since, well, Jadon Sancho, but he’s long gone and loving life with Borussia Dortmund. Make sure not to make the same mistake with Phil Foden, who has one of the highest potential ratings for a player aged under 21 in the entire game.
Foden’s not just potential, either, with starting stats including 86 agility, 86 balance, 74 vision and 76 short passing – making him perfect to play backup to David Silva and Kevin de Bruyne
Brahim Diaz
While he might not join his younger teammate in the top 25 wonderkids on FIFA 19, Brahim Diaz is a star of City’s future with a potential rating of 86.
The 19-year-old Spaniard has a great lick of pace about him to go with his dribbling abilities. Add to that a five-star weak foot, four-star skills and his right foot cutting in from the left and you have your Leroy Sane backup on the books already.
Claudio Gomes
If you somehow manage to spend the entire transfer budget City has to offer before strengthening the defensive midfield spot have no fear because Claudio Gomes is a real talent.
At 18 with a 66 rating, he still has a lot of work to do before he can become a regular in your first team, but you should have no concerns over his ability in cup matches with a high defensive work rate and 73 pace.