Career Mode is unforgiving if your center backs aren’t up to it. You need aerial dominance, recovery speed, and the composure to handle pressure when line-breaking passes fail. Below is a concise shortlist of elite CBs to anchor your defense today, plus contract angles and high‑ceiling prospects who can carry saves deep into the 30s.

Top 25 center backs (OVR) to sign right now

The defenders below start strong out of the box. Build around them or slot them as instant upgrades in any back four or back three.

Player Club OVR
Virgil van DijkLiverpool90
GabrielArsenal88
William SalibaArsenal87
Alessandro BastoniLombardia FC (Inter)87
Jonathan TahBayern Munich87
MarquinhosParis SG87
Willian PachoParis SG86
Ruben DiasManchester City86
Ibrahima KonatéLiverpool86
Antonio RüdigerReal Madrid86
Nico SchlotterbeckBorussia Dortmund85
BremerJuventus85
Dayot UpamecanoBayern Munich85
Iñigo MartínezAl Nassr85
Benjamin PavardOM (Marseille)84
VivianAthletic Club84
Éder MilitãoReal Madrid84
Willi OrbanRB Leipzig84
Francesco AcerbiLombardia FC (Inter)84
Stefan de VrijLombardia FC (Inter)84
Piero HincapiéArsenal83
MurilloNottingham Forest83
Ronald AraújoBarcelona83
David HanckoAtlético de Madrid83
Robin Le NormandAtlético de Madrid83
Note: Overall ratings reflect the start of the 25/26 season.

Leverage contract timing (2026 expiries)

Ibrahima Konaté and Antonio Rüdiger are on deals that expire in 2026. That matters for two reasons:

  • Immediate window: Use the approaching expiry as leverage to reduce transfer fees.
  • Mid‑season 25/26: Monitor their status; pre‑contract agreements become viable if they enter the last six months.
Tip: Shortlist both at the start of your save to track contract movement without manually re‑searching later.

High‑potential CBs to sign and develop

These defenders combine usable starting OVR with headroom to grow into top‑tier anchors. If you plan a multi‑season project, they’re the spine.

Player Club OVR Potential
Dean HuijsenReal Madrid8289
Piero HincapiéArsenal8389
Willian PachoParis SG8689
William SalibaArsenal8789
Castello LukebaRB Leipzig8088
Pau CubarsíBarcelona8288
Nico SchlotterbeckBorussia Dortmund8588
Luka VuškovićHamburger SV7287
Finn JeltschVfB Stuttgart7287
El Chadaille BitshiabuRB Leipzig7587
Ousmane DiomandeSporting CP8087
MurilloNottingham Forest8387
Pietro ComuzzoFiorentina7486
Joel OrdoñezClub Brugge7586
Matte SmetsGenk7686
Joane GadouRB Salzburg6685

How to use them:

  • Plug‑and‑play starters: Huijsen, Hincapié, Pacho, Saliba.
  • Rotation with fast growth: Lukeba, Cubarsí, Schlotterbeck, Diomande, Murillo.
  • Project players for mid‑table or long saves: Vušković, Jeltsch, Bitshiabu, Comuzzo, Ordoñez, Smets, Gadou.

Budget tiers and realistic fees

Transfer values vary by save, negotiation, and transfer strictness. Use these figures as ballpark targets for window one.

Under £5m

  • Brad Manguelle (Genk) — OVR 60, POT 82. Estimated ~£500k–£625k; useful lower‑league starter with pace to recover.
  • Tobias Ramirez (Argentinos Juniors) — OVR 69, POT 85. Contract can hit 12 months; ~£2.3m if you move early.
  • Finn Jeltsch (VfB Stuttgart) — OVR 72, POT 87. Around £4.4m; strong tackling base and four‑star weak foot.

£5m–£20m

  • Yarek (PSV) — OVR 73, POT 85. Versatile left‑sider; ~£7m is a fair outcome.
  • El Chadaille Bitshiabu (RB Leipzig) — OVR 75, POT 87. Physically dominant; ~£12.5m is often achievable.
  • Matte Smets (Genk) — OVR 76, POT 86. Ball‑playing profile; expect £18m after hard negotiations.

£20m and up

  • Giorgio Scalvini (Bergamo Calcio) — OVR 77, POT 86. Around £22.8m; aerial presence, elite standing tackle early.
  • Antonio Silva (Benfica) — OVR 78, POT 86. Roughly £28m; balanced pace/defense/physical blend.
  • Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona) — OVR 82, POT 88. Budget ~£50m; ready now with elite long‑term upside.
Tip: Add sell‑on clauses when buying prospects; it lowers upfront cost and keeps a slice of future upside if you cash out later.

Who should you prioritize?

  • Chasing trophies in season one: Van Dijk, Saliba, Pacho, Rüdiger, Dias are plug‑ins with minimal adaptation.
  • Reloading a contender: Hincapié and Huijsen grow into elite status without sacrificing early‑season stability.
  • Building with budget: Jeltsch or Vušković paired with a steady veteran (Acerbi, de Vrij) balances growth and results.
  • Playing a high line: Favor CBs with recovery pace (Bitshiabu, Lukeba, Murillo) alongside a drop‑off anchor.

Shortlist cheat sheet

For quicker scouting, save these groupings and check them monthly for contract changes and transfer‑listed status.

  • Immediate leaders: Van Dijk (90), Gabriel (88), Saliba (87), Bastoni (87), Tah (87), Marquinhos (87).
  • Contract watch (2026): Konaté (86), Rüdiger (86).
  • High‑ceiling younger core: Huijsen (82→89), Hincapié (83→89), Cubarsí (82→88), Lukeba (80→88), Schlotterbeck (85→88).
  • Low‑cost growth: Jeltsch (72→87), Vušković (72→87), Bitshiabu (75→87), Comuzzo (74→86), Smets (76→86), Gadou (66→85).

The meta shifts, but the fundamentals don’t: pair anticipation and strength with enough recovery speed to protect your offside line, and carry at least one defender who can pass through a mid‑block. Start with an elite from the 25‑man list, track the 2026 expiries for value, then slot a high‑potential CB beside them to keep your back line future‑proof.