Transfers

The Best Pressing Forwards In FM23

As the modern game now more than ever puts more emphasis on starting play from the back, strikers who can lead the press are becoming more important by the day.

However, getting strikers who are well suited for this role is never easy, and with that in mind, I have come up with this list to make it easier for you to snag a few of the best pressing forwards in FM23 at the start of the save.

Pressing forwards in fm23

By getting the best, be prepared to also part with a big chunk of your transfer budget, unless you get lucky and sign one or two of them towards the end of their contracts when they are normally more affordable.

I have tried to restrict this list to players aged 28 and below so that you can get more than five years of top service from them.

Without further ado, here are the best pressing forwards in FM23;

Victor Osimhen

Osimhen is quickly becoming a household name to most football fans thanks to his fine form for Napoli this season.

The Nigerian is continuously getting linked with a move to the top clubs in Europe, and being only 23 years old at the start of the save in FM23, going after him is a no-brainer

Famous for his work rate and explosive acceleration and pace, Osimhen is tailor-made to be a pressing forward.

With his contract expiring in 2025, he should cost less than 100 million pounds, but be prepared to fight it out against the rich clubs from the EPL for his signature.

Check out his complete FM23 profile here.

Gabriel Jesus

When Jesus traded Manchester City for Arsenal at the start of the season, not even the staunchest of Arsenal fans would have imagined they would be in a title race in January.

However, thanks in part to the Brazilian’s quick start in an Arsenal shirt, they find themselves firmly in contention for their first league title in more than 15 years.

Well suited to a pressing forward role thanks to his work rate, Jesus can also be deployed out wide on the flanks to operate as an inverted winger, inside forward or raumdeuter.

Having changed clubs recently, signing Jesus for a reasonable fee will likely only be possible after a few in-game years

Endrick

At 16 years old, Endrick is comfortably the youngest pressing forward on this list. However, his potential has already made Real Madrid pay the big bucks for him.

Despite this, you should not lose hope of acquiring the Brazilian wonderkid.

Once he moves to the Spanish club in 2024, a loan move is a good route to getting his services, however, if you are eying him up for a more permanent move, waiting for Real Madrid to sign a few more striker wonderkids then going after him when he ultimately lacks the game time that befits a player of his quality, is always a viable route in football manager.

Check out his FM23 profile here.

Mathys Tel

Mathys Tel is another very young wonderkid that has joined a big club, but it is Bayern Munich this time round instead of Real Madrid.

At only 17 and with a big future ahead of him should he fulfil his potential, Mathys is basically a blank canvas that you can mould into any type of striker that you see fit for your system.

Right from the start, he can play across the front three positions, as a raumdeuter, pressing forward or inside forward.

Couple that with very good physicals for a 17-year-old, and Mathys’ path to a world-class striker only relies on him getting sufficient game time, which you should give him if you manage to sign him from the German champions.

Check out his FM23 profile here.

Benjamin Šeško

Born in 2003, Sesko is only 19 years old at the start of FM23. He is very much an out-and-out pressing forward, capable of only playing in the striker position.

However, what he lacks in versatility, he more than makes it up for it in his attributes.

At 194 CM, and with decent physical attributes for a teenager, Sesko has the potential to develop into a world-class pressing forward in no time.

Should you wish to, Sesko can also be moulded to play as a poacher, deep lying forward or a target man, however, you will be sacrificing his explosive pace in doing so.

Despite playing in Austria for RB Salzburg (He will join RB Leipzig at the end of the first season), Sesko will easily cost upwards of 70 million pounds.

Check out his FM23 profile here.

Darwin Núñez

Having joined Liverpool at the start of the season in a big money move, Nunez has not had the best of starts.

He has the movement of a killer striker, however, for one reason or another he is not finding the net as much as he would want to.

What he doesn’t lack, however, is the grit and work rate that probably played a part in Jürgen Klopp going after his signature.

Just like Jesus, signing Nunez for a reasonable fee would only be possible after a few in-game seasons in FM23.

Suited to a pressing forward role, Nunez can also take other roles in the striking position including a complete forward, advanced forward or even a target man later on in his career when he loses his pace.

Check out his FM23 profile here.

Karim Adeyemi

Primarily a right-winger, Karim Adeyemi has explosive pace and acceleration coupled with a good work rate which can be leveraged into moulding an effective pressing forward.

Still only 20 years old, the German wonderkid plies his trade for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.

However, with a contract that expires in 2027, be prepared to cough up a sizeable transfer fee to convince the German giants to part ways with the electrifying winger.

If you go after him immediately at the start of your FM23 save, you will likely part with around 60 to 70 million pounds for a player who will diligently serve your team for more than 10 seasons.

Finally, FM23 has a large number of pressing forwards you can unearth, making it impossible to cover all of them here.

Be sure to scout the best regions while also developing your youth in the right way, as watching your club compete for the biggest titles with a team that is largely from your youth system is always more satisfying.