How do AI managers decide what players to sign?

[Sly419]

This question is not for the newer versions of the game now we have all these Tendencies that help guide it.

 

I still play one of my old FM08 custom databases and I noticed that certain clubs always sign the same player at the start of the game, regardless of who the AI manager is. So it got me wondering what used to impact this?

Does the chairman have an impact? Director of football? Or something else?

[Neil Brock]

Honestly there have been so many changes in the last few versions with how the system has developed, it'd be very difficult to say how it specifically worked for FM08. Would imagine it would have been a case of the AI manager looking at the weaker areas of their squad, seeing what types of players fell within their transfer budget at other clubs and approached. Given these certain clubs will always start with the same squads and same weaknesses, it only makes sense that they would approach the same players that could fill these positions. 

[Sly419]

Thanks Neil, that makes total sense when you put it like that.