The Ultimate Guide to FM26's Best Restricted Saves
Most Football Manager saves follow the same loop: scout globally, snap up the best value players, build a well-rounded XI. But what happens when that option is taken away? When you're locked into a region, a nationality, an age group - or simply a budget so tight it makes pre-season a white-knuckle exercise?
That's exactly what these eight clubs offer. Whether it's a genuine in-game hard restriction (like Athletic Club's Basque-only rule) or a self-imposed philosophy that makes the save uniquely compelling (like Altınordu's academy-first ethos), each one demands a completely different way of thinking about recruitment, tactics and squad management.
We've expanded the list to eight clubs and added key player names, tactical tips and difficulty ratings for each - so you can pick the save that matches how much pain you're ready to embrace.
📋 In This Article
- Athletic Club (Spain) - The Basque-Only Policy
- Chivas (Mexico) - The All-Mexican Squad
- Altınordu (Turkey) - Youth Development First
- Sint-Truidense (Belgium) - The Japanese Connection
- Reading (England) - The Financial Recovery Project
- Osasuna (Spain) - The Navarran Brother
- Club Nacional (Paraguay) - All-Paraguayan Pride
- Exeter City (England) - The Fan-Owned Rebuild
Athletic Club - The Basque-Only Policy
Athletic Club is the crown jewel of restricted FM saves and one of the most iconic challenges in the entire series. The club's philosophy - restricting its squad to players born or trained in the Basque Country - is hard-coded into the game. You cannot sign anyone outside that pool, and the game will stop you if you try.
Only players born in the Basque Country (the Spanish and French Basque territories) or trained there for a minimum number of years are eligible. This applies to transfers and loanees alike. Your scouting network must be laser-focused on the region from day one, covering SD Eibar, Real Sociedad, Deportivo Alavés and the lower Basque divisions permanently.
Key Players to Build Around
Tactics & Tips
High-intensity pressing suits Athletic's traditional identity and makes the most of athletic profiles rather than technical wizards. A 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 with high press and direct play through wide areas is a natural fit. Nico Williams as an inverted winger is your most dangerous weapon - protect him in negotiations and extend his contract early.
Chivas - The All-Mexican Squad
Guadalajara - universally known as Chivas - are Mexico's most supported club and carry one of world football's great identity policies: every first-team player must be Mexican. No exceptions, no work-permit shortcuts, no dual nationalities. It's an all-in bet on Mexican football quality, and in FM26 it makes for a unique Liga MX experience.
The pool is broader than the Basque one - Mexico's domestic scene is sizeable - but European clubs raiding Liga MX for Mexican talent means your squad planning has to be proactive. The long-term goal is Liga MX dominance first, then CONCACAF Champions Cup glory.
Key Players to Build Around
Tactics & Tips
A 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 with medium block and counter-press works well with the profiles in Chivas' typical squad. Use national team fixtures to identify promising U20 and U17 players across all Liga MX clubs, then move before they get snapped up.
Altınordu - Youth Development First
Few clubs in world football have committed as completely to the youth development idea as Altınordu. The Turkish club built their entire identity around producing professional players for the domestic game - and in FM26, that philosophy is your challenge. Sign only Turkish players who have come through the academy system.
Altınordu typically start outside the Süper Lig, which means you're fighting on two fronts: promotion through the divisions and building an entirely home-grown squad. Invest heavily in youth infrastructure from day one. Your first job is always facilities, not first-team signings.
Tactics & Tips
Expect slow starts and patience. The payoff comes when your academy graduates start hitting their mid-20s ceiling. A possession-based 4-3-3 gives youth players structure and covers for the lack of star quality in the early years. Press high to compensate for a lack of depth at attacking positions.
Sint-Truidense - The Japanese Connection
Sint-Truiden VV (STVV) holds a genuinely unique position in European football. Owned by Japanese investment, the club has become the preferred bridge for J.League talent breaking into Europe - and in FM26 that makes for a fascinating hybrid save: part Belgian mid-table grind, part J.League scouting operation.
There's no hard-coded nationality rule, but the spirit of this save is to build around Japanese players while staying compliant with Belgian squad registration rules. Aim for a minimum of seven or eight Japanese nationals in your first-team squad at all times, supplementing with Belgian domestic talent around them.
Key J.League Players to Target
Tactics & Tips
Japanese players tend to be technically excellent, high in work rate and suited to a possession-heavy game. A 4-2-3-1 with short passing, high tempo and press-on-ball-loss is a natural fit. The challenge in Belgium is physicality - compensate with pace on the counter and disciplined defensive shape.
Reading - The Financial Recovery Project
Reading's real-world financial meltdown - unpaid wages, transfer embargoes, points deductions - has made them one of the most compelling fallen-giant saves in FM history. In FM26 you're not just managing a football club; you're managing a crisis. Every decision has financial consequences, and the gap between survival and collapse can be wafer-thin.
Reading's financial situation effectively locks you into free transfers, released veterans and loan deals. You will likely face squad registration limits and wage bill caps enforced by the board. The youth academy becomes your primary recruitment pipeline simply because it's the only one you can fully trust.
Tips for Survival
Don't try to play FM the normal way here. Your first two seasons are about stabilisation and cash flow - sell anyone above their wage expectations, clear deadwood and bring in free transfers on low wages. If you can get through the first two seasons without relegation to the National League, the club's infrastructure and fanbase becomes an asset again.
Osasuna - The Navarran Brother
Osasuna occupy a fascinating position in Spanish football. Like Athletic Club, they have a deep cultural preference for players from their region - the Kingdom of Navarre - but unlike Athletic, this is a philosophy save rather than a hard rule. That makes Osasuna the perfect stepping stone before attempting Athletic Club proper.
Set yourself a clear rule: first choice is always a Navarran player; second choice is from the wider Basque Country or northern Spain; only in exceptional circumstances do you sign from elsewhere. Running a member-owned club in La Liga with these priorities creates something genuinely different.
Key Players to Build Around
Tactics & Tips
Osasuna's traditional identity is hard-working, compact, difficult to beat. A 4-4-2 medium block with fast transitions suits the club's culture and the typical player profiles you'll recruit. Europa League is an achievable ambition within three to four seasons if you nail the youth pathways.
Club Nacional - All-Paraguayan Pride
For the FM26 manager who wants total immersion in South American football and a genuine underdog story, Club Nacional of Paraguay is a hidden gem of a challenge save. Running an all-Paraguayan squad through the División de Honor and into CONMEBOL continental competition is a long, rewarding grind that most FM players have never even considered.
Paraguay is one of South America's smaller footballing nations - a smaller talent pool than Argentina or Brazil, but one that produces technically intelligent players with strong work rates. Your entire squad must be Paraguayan. The first challenge is simply finding enough quality to stay competitive domestically.
Key Paraguayan Players to Know
Tactics & Tips
Paraguayan football leans physical and set-piece reliant at lower levels. A compact 4-4-2 or 5-3-2 with emphasis on dead balls and counter-attacking transitions suits the profiles you'll be working with. As the talent pool improves mid-save, you can transition to more possession-based play.
Exeter City - The Fan-Owned Rebuild
Exeter City are one of English football's great feel-good stories - a supporter-owned club that has defied expectations at every turn. In FM26, managing the Grecians means embracing the community-club ethos completely: sustainable finances, home-grown players and a wage structure that would make a Premier League accountant wince.
There's no hard nationality rule at Exeter - the restriction is purely financial. The board will not sanction speculative high-fee signings, which pushes you toward free transfers, loan networks and youth development as your primary routes to squad improvement.
Tactics & Tips
Build a compact 4-4-2 or 3-5-2, leverage set pieces heavily and build a squad with average age 23-25 that will peak together in seasons three to four. Most importantly, build a loan army - negotiate deals with Premier League clubs to take their best young English talents on season-long loans. It costs nothing in fees, develops their players and gives you quality you couldn't otherwise afford. This is how the real Exeter operates - mirror it in FM26.
Ready to Choose Your Challenge?
Every save on this list strips away the easy option - the big-money signing who solves the problem in January - and forces you to think differently. That's what makes restricted saves so special in FM26. The constraint is the gameplay.
Check out our FM26 Game Guides Hub for tactics, squad building advice and transfer shortlists. And if you'd rather go in the opposite direction - unlimited funds, zero restrictions - our FM26 Sugar Daddy Clubs guide has you covered.
Whatever save you pick - good luck, gaffer. 🏆
