Football Manager 2022: Best Goalkeepers (GK) to Sign

Integral to a team’s success, the goalkeeper must shoulder a huge responsibility and is often the deciding factor between success and failure. The same can be said in Football Manager 22 with your choice of goalkeeper vital to how your season progresses, and it’s for that reason that we rounded up the best and brightest GKs boasting high current abilities to shore up your last line of defence.

Choosing the best goalkeepers (GK) on FM22

This page features only the best goalkeepers in the footballing world, so that you can find out who’s rubbing elbows with the likes of Thibaut Courtois, Manuel Neuer, and Alisson as the top dogs of FM22.

For a goalkeeper to feature on this list they must have a current ability rating of at least 150 and a minimum positional rating of 18 as a goalkeeper, with the top seven featured in the body of the article. At the bottom of the page, you’ll find a full list of all of the best goalkeepers (GK) in FM22.

Manuel Neuer (178 CA / 193 PA)

Team: Bayern Munich
Age: 35
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 178 CA / 193 PA
Wage: £300,000 p/w
Value: £300 million
Best Positions: GK
Best Attributes: 20 Rushing Out (Tendency), 20 Composure, 18 Throwing

This man doesn’t need an introduction; he’s been in the conversation for best goalkeeper in the world for most of his playing career, so it shouldn’t come as surprise that Manuel Neuer boasts the highest current ability with a massive 178 CA and a nearly perfect 193 PA.

Along with a mouth-watering current ability, Neuer’s in-game attributes match his real-world talent and extravagant playing style, showcased in particular by his 20 rushing out (tendency) and 18 eccentricity ratings. Excelling in distribution thanks to his 18 throwing and 18 kicking, Neuer naturally finds passes to teammates while his 16 reflexes and 20 composure attributes take care of any efforts on your goal.

Dominating the Bundesliga in Germany, Manuel Neuer has been number one for Bayern Munich since he left boyhood club Schalke 04 in 2011, and has amassed 448 appearances for the Bavarian powerhouse. At 35 years old you could be forgiven for thinking his playing career is winding down, but Neuer hasn’t given any indication that’s going to happen. Instead, last season he played 46 games for Bayern, conceding 55 goals as he helped his team steamroll their way to the Bundesliga title.

Jan Oblak (176 CA / 178 PA)

Team: Atlético Madrid
Age: 28
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 176 CA / 178 PA
Wage: £250,000 p/w
Value: £102 million
Best Positions: GK
Best Attributes: 19 Reflexes, 18 Handling, 17 Composure

Jan Oblak has been integral to Atlético Madrid in recent years, helping them break the status quo of La Liga and cementing himself as an elite goalkeeper, as highlighted by his 176 CA and 178 PA on FM22.

To go with his impressive current ability, Oblak boasts an incredible 19 reflexes, 18 handling, and 17 decisions, all of which boost his supernatural ability to keep the ball out of the back of your net. He’s even more fearsome when staring down opponents with a cool 17 composure and 16 one on ones backing him up, and once he’s regained possession, he has the ‘uses long throws to start counter attacks’ to quickly put your team on the front foot.

Atlético Madrid’s Slovenian shot-stopper has made a name for himself as one of La Liga’s top goalkeepers since he arrived from Benfica in 2014, winning a La Liga title and Europa League title during his time in Madrid. The five-time Slovenian player of the year was in amazing form last season, conceding just 36 goals in the 38 games he played as he helped his side to finish in pole position, pipping rivals Real Madrid to the coveted La Liga trophy.

Thibaut Courtois (175 CA / 181 PA)

Team: Real Madrid
Age: 29
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 175 CA / 181 PA
Wage: £250,000 p/w
Value: £113 million
Best Positions: GK
Best Attributes: 20 Aerial Reach, 18 Jumping Reach, 18 Reflexes

Thibaut Courtois is a behemoth between the sticks. Standing at 6’6”, the lofty Belgian is classed as one of the world’s best goalkeepers and holds an impressive 175 CA and 181 PA.

With such intimidating height, Courtois can claim almost any cross that comes his way having been blessed with 20 aerial reach, 18 jumping reach, and 16 positioning, and training his 15 command of area will further increase his potency at collecting crosses. Despite being very impressive in the air, Courtois’ excellent goalkeeping foundations are perhaps his most important attributes; he features 18 reflexes, 17 one on ones, and 16 handling, numbers which make him a truly difficult player to get the better of.

Currently Real Madrid’s number one keeper, Courtois was once a product of Belgian side Genk’s academy until Chelsea signed both him in 2011. He was then loaned to Atlético Madrid for three seasons, before returning to Chelsea developed and ready for the Premier League. He spent four years there perfecting his craft, before Spanish giants Real Madrid swooped in and signed him in 2018 for £31.5 million.

A bitter second-place finish in the league last season to local rivals Atlético Madrid will have been disappointing to say the least for Courtois given his form; he managed to keep 21 clean sheets in 51 games whilst conceding just 44 goals.

Marc-André Ter Stegen (174 CA / 183 PA)

Team: Barcelona
Age: 29
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 174 CA / 183 PA
Wage: £140,000 p/w
Value: £168 million
Best Positions: GK
Best Attributes: 19 Kicking, 18 Reflexes, 18 Rushing Out (Tendency)

Weighing in with 174 CA and 183 PA is Barcelona’s German stopper Marc-André Ter Stegen. He excels in distribution and can use both feet, making ter Stegen an appealing option for playing out from the back.

Ter Stegen possesses exceptional distribution attributes, and with 19 kicking, 17 passing, and 17 throwing, he can easily spring counter-attacks or retain possession. His more traditional goalkeeping ratings are just as impressive with 17 anticipation and 18 reflexes guarding the net. To get Ter Stegen to the next level, you’ll need to train his 12 positioning and 13 decisions.

The 29-year-old German currently lines up for the famous FC Barcelona in La Liga and has done since his £10.8 million move from Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2014, after he rose through their youth ranks. Ter Stegen frustratingly missed 12 games last season due to a recurring knee injury and ultimately missed Euro 2020 because of it, but despite his injury woes he still managed 42 appearances conceding 50 goals all season.

Alisson (174 CA / 180 PA)

Team: Liverpool
Age: 28
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 174 CA / 180 PA
Wage: £190,000 p/w
Value: £81 million
Best Positions: GK
Best Attributes: 19 Determination, 18 Positioning, 17 Reflexes

With a value of £81 million, Alisson has the lowest price tag of our seven featured goalkeepers, but that comes without compromising on talent as he has 174 CA and 180 PA.

Possessing the trait ‘uses long throws to start counter attacks’ is a huge bonus to anybody looking to employ quick direct football in FM22, and by training his 14 throwing you’ll increase the potency of this trait immensely. Alisson is outstanding when staring down attackers with his 18 positioning, 17 reflexes, and 17 one on ones, and he often comes out on top during games.

The Brazilian is one of the first names on the team sheet at Premier League side Liverpool, having signed from AS Roma in 2018 for £56.25 million. In his time there, he has proven to be worth the investment, winning both the Premier League and Champions League during his time in Merseyside. En route to a third-place finish last season, Alisson was in good form for Liverpool, conceding 41 goals in his 42 appearances, managing to keep 15 clean sheets in the process.

Ederson (170 CA / 180 PA)

Team: Manchester City
Age: 27
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 170 CA / 180 PA
Wage: £160,000 p/w
Value: £215 million
Best Positions: GK
Best Attributes: 20 Composure, 20 Kicking, 18 Passing

Having an eye for pinpoint passing and daring saves, Ederson’s style of play is next-to-perfect for his current club Manchester City and for anybody who aims to dominate possession, the Brazilian is an elite prospect with 170 CA and 180 PA.

An outrageous 20 kicking, 20 composure, and 18 passing are the standout attributes in his locker, enabling him to always find a teammate even if strikers are bearing down on him. Adding even more to the distribution side of his game, he has 17 throwing and 17 vision, essentially making him a midfield maestro in goal, while his 15 reflexes and 15 handling keep the ball out when he does get his hands dirty.

A key part of Manchester City’s style, Ederson has earned a hefty trophy haul since he made the switch from Benfica in 2017, winning three Premier Leagues, four English League Cups, and an FA Cup in his five years in England. It was a double-winning season last term as Manchester City claimed both the Premier League and League Cup, and Ederson was on top of his game for the Cityzens, keeping 26 clean sheets from 48 games and being beaten just 33 times.

Gianluigi Donnarumma (161 CA / 189 PA)

Team: Paris Saint-Germain
Age: 22
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 161 CA / 189 PA
Wage: £215,000 p/w
Value: £85 million
Best Positions: GK
Best Attributes: 19 Reflexes, 18 Jumping Reach, 16 One on Ones

Only 22 years old and ranked as one of the world’s best, the goalkeeping prodigy that is Gianluigi Donnarumma has a 161 CA backed up by a fantastic 189 PA.

More of a traditional goalkeeper, Donnarumma’s ratings focus more on his goalkeeping ability than his eye for a pass. His 19 reflexes, 16 one on ones, and 16 agility foil even the best attempts to beat him. The young Italian is also a dominant force in the air, possessing 16 aerial reach, 16 strength, and 18 jumping reach to go along with his 6’5” stature.

Donnarumma signed for Ligue 1 powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain this summer having left his boyhood club AC Milan on a free transfer after his contract expired, joining a host of the biggest names in football. The 22-year-old narrowly missed out on winning the Serie A last season, falling just two points behind bitter rivals Inter Milan. That turned out to be his last season in Milan, with Donnarumma featuring 48 times and conceding 54 goals.

All of the best Goalkeepers (GK) on FM22

In the table below, you’ll find all of the best shot-stoppers (GK) in FM22, sorted by their current ability. Players with a value of £300 million are considered indispensable by their clubs at the start of FM22 but situations can soon change, especially if you’re keen to get your man.

If you’re looking to put a world-class goalkeeper between the sticks for your side, you’ll find the best of the best in the table above.