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Football Manager 2018: When is the release date, where can I buy it and how much does it cost?

The release of everyone's favourite football management game is nearly upon us. Here's everything you need to know...

Monday 09 October 2017 15:34 BST
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The latest version of Football Manager will be released soon
The latest version of Football Manager will be released soon

Has the football season well and truly started yet? Yes, there have been games played in the Premier League and across Europe. Manchester United and City have impressed us all, Chelsea have underwhelmed and Arsenal and Liverpool are showing the inconsistencies of old.

So, yes, it feels like the season is underway. But there’s one thing missing, a gap in our enjoyment of the game: yes, it's the latest version of Football Manager.

Until you have the chance to sit down at the dining table with your suit on and pretend you are Jose Mourinho the year of 2017/18 has not officially begun.

Well, good news then, because Football Manager 2018 is very nearly upon us.

Here’s everything you need to know:

What is it?

It’s Football Manager 2018, the latest in the popular series of football management simulation video games that allows you to take the reins at your favourite club and lead them to glory.

The desktop version of the game is available for download on PC, Mac and Linux.

There is also a more streamlined version for tablets called Football Manager Touch 2018. This has a reduced amount of pre-match build-up and media interaction.

Football Manager Mobile 18 also allows you to play the game on your handheld device but has limited features compared to the main version.

When is it released?

The official release date is Friday 10 November but anyone who purchases FM18 at least two weeks prior can play a fully playable Beta version of the game. All single-player careers can then be continued in the full game.

How much will it cost?

Football Manager 18 costs £37.99, up from £34.99. Fans who had FM17 can claim a 25 per cent “contract extension bonus” if they pre-purchase the new version of the game before Monday 9 October.

Football Manager Touch 18 costs £21.99.

There is no official word on the price of the mobile game, but last season’s edition cost £8.99.

Where can you buy it?

You can pre-purchase the game on the Football Manager website here. The touch and mobile versions of the game will be available for download in the App Store, Google Play and on Amazon.

What are some of the new features?

New features on Football Manager are always a closely guarded secret but the Sports Interactive team have released a few teasers over the past couple of weeks.

They have promised improved scouting, stadium design, better use of sports scientists, a Fantasy Draft and something called “dynamics”.

Check out some of the new features in this video below:

Who is the best player?

Who will be the new Taribo West, Tonton Zola Moukoko or Cherno Samba? Unfortuntately, SI are keeping their latest wonderkids under wraps so we’ll just have to wait until the game is released to find out.

Who should I start with?

AC Milan – Millions have been pumped into the sleeping giants by Chinese investors over the summer. With a newly-revamped squad, can you return the Rossoneri to the top of Italian – and European – football?

RB Leipzig – The most unpopular team in Germany outperformed all expectations last term. Can you lead them to a maiden Bundesliga title while the rest of the country hates your very existence?

Forest Green Rovers – Can you keep the newly-promoted club in the football league, fuelled by Quorn pies and robot lawnmowers?

Athletic Bilbao – At San Mames you can only buy players of Basque origin. How much do you trust your skills of nurturing young players into first-team superstars?

Real Madrid – Can you continue the success of Zinedine Zidane at the most demanding club in world football? A season without at least the Champions League or La Liga title will almost certainly see you out on your ear.

Atletico Madrid – Or how about taking over at city rivals Atleti, where a transfer embargo means you will have to do without new players until January.

Ostersunds FK – The tiny Swedish club have huge aspirations. Can you take over from English boss Graham Potter, who led the team through three promotions, and take them to a first Allsvenskan title and into the Champions League?

Wolves – With new owners, 12 new players and a link to super-agent Jorge Mendes, can you lead the West Midlands side out of one of the most competitive leagues in the world and back to their rightful place in England’s top division?

Parma – The Gialloblu won eight trophies in the halcyon days of the 1990s but after years of financial mismanagement fell to the fourth tier of Italian football. A recovery has seen them rise back to Serie B but can you take them through that final step and back into Europe?

PSG – Can you manage that dressing room to the Champions League crown with the most demanding owners in world football?

Monaco – Can you help the French champions compete after losing some of Europe’s best talent in the shape of Kylian Mbappe, Bernardo Silva and Tiemoue Bakyoko?

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