Top 10 Players We Expect To Get Major Upgrades in EA Sports FC Ultimate Team

With another season in the books, gamers are looking forward to EA Sports FC and a series of new superstars to play with and enjoy. Here are the top 10 players we expect to receive major upgrades in EA Sports FC Ultimate Team.

FIFA player ratings are a big event every year, especially in the build-up to a new instalment’s release. That’s even more true in 2023, with EA Sports FC set to launch a new era in EA-developed football simulation titles.

The exact algorithms and method to grading players is not known, but video game and football fans love to see who’s rated what ahead of each game. We expect EAFC to follow the same pattern in Ultimate Team, with players’ cards rated at a certain OVR as well as on individual stats. 

Here, we’re going through 10 players we expect to get major upgrades in EA Sports FC’s Ultimate Team. That’s because their past ratings might have proven too low or their real-life performances have exceeded all expectations. It might also be both. 

Naturally, this list is subjective and doesn’t constitute all the players that are set for big upgrades. We’ve just picked 10 exciting players (in no particular order) from across Europe’s top leagues who are all but guaranteed to enjoy a big boost to their OVR and stats. 

1. Jack Grealish 84 > 87

Jack Grealish, and Man City, experienced their best ever season in 2022-23. The former Aston Villa star thrived in his second season under Pep Guardiola’s tutelage, causing chaos as an inverted left winger and helping the Citizens to a historic treble. His ability to beat a man and assist teammates helped Erling Haaland to his golden boot, and City to 89 points.

Time will tell the extent to which he can improve again as the blue half of Manchester looks to repeat their feat. We’re estimating he’ll be an 87 OVR card with improved dribbling, shooting and passing. We wouldn’t rule out an increase from 4 star skill moves to 5 star, either.

2. Jude Bellingham 84 > 88

There’s very few, if any, more naturally talented players in world football than Jude Bellingham. The former Birmingham City midfielder has already transferred from Dortmund to the Los Blancos of Madrid for an incredible €100m.

He looks set to get a big upgrade in nearly every statistic, with more to come as he approaches his peak. We can’t wait to see him dominating from the center of the park in La Liga next season, as well as the Champions League as Real Madrid look to add another trophy to their collection under Carlo Ancelotti.

3. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia 74 > 82

Looking back on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s 2022-23 season, it’s nearly impossible to believe he was a silver 74 OVR when it started. He blew players and fans alike away with his performances, notching up 12 goals and 13 assists across the league campaign.

Needless to say, the Georgian received a number of special cards across the year, including a Serie A Team of the Season card after he helped Napoli lift their first Scudetto in three decades. A huge boost and a rare gold card look certain, with us favoring an 82 overall and drastically augmented Dribbling.

4. Bukayo Saka 82 > 86

Bukayo Saka was one of Arsenal’s standout players as they came agonisingly close to a first Premier League title since 2004. The young English winger was a nightmare for full-backs across the league, using his pace and skill to beat them consistently and set up goals – or score them himself.

His performances for England have skyrocketed too, earning himself a first international hattrick in the season’s closing weeks. We’re envisaging big boosts to shooting, dribbling and pace and an even trickier player next season as Arsenal look to go one better and take the title out of Man City’s hands.

5. Erling Haaland 88 > 91

Erling Haaland joins Jack Grealish as the second Man City player to make this list. Everyone knew his natural pace, power and finishing would cause problems for Premier League defences everywhere, but few foresaw him scoring 36 goals in just 35 league matches.

If he does what Grealish did and improve even more in his second season under Pep, we could be looking at the highest rated card in the game come EAFC 25. For EAFC 24, we’re bumping him up to a 91 OVR base card with a whopping 93 Shooting. If Lengthy cards start out meta again, he could cost an eye watering amount on the market.

6. Marcus Rashford 81 > 85

Marcus Rashford’s seen his FUT OVR fluctuate in recent seasons as his struggles with fitness and form made themselves known. The 22-23 season was undoubtedly his best for a number of years though, with the England star notching up 17 leagues goals in a revitalised Man Utd under Erik Ten Hag.

His shooting is set for a boost in particular, with his lethality in front of goal a big reason for Man Utd’s successful Champions League pursuit. We’re also looking forward to boosted Dribbling, with his ability to cut in from the left a big reason for his stellar stats.

7. Sven Botman 80 > 83

Newcastle United’s takeover guaranteed big money would be spent up on Tyneside, but it certainly didn’t lead many to expect Champions League qualification in 22-23. Centre-back Sven Botman was a crucial reason for it, tightening up Newcastle’s defence with his tough tackling and aerial prowess.

The left-sided Dutch international thrived alongside Fabian Schär and, with Newcastle set to spend big and having already brought in Sandro Tonali, we’re anticipating a hefty boost to OVR and a shift to a rare gold card at the very least. He could move even higher in future EAFC games.

8. Gabri Veiga 61 > 76

At just 21 years of age, Gabri Veiga is one of the brightest stars in La Liga: a big compliment in a league that boasts Gavi, Pedri and Vinicius. The Celta Vigo man has been linked with a big move away (at the time of writing, it hasn’t come to fruition) and started out FIFA 23, remarkably, as a bronze.

He has been linked with Liverpool and PSG, among a number of other top European sides. We think he could skip silver altogether and begin EAFC as a rare gold, with massively improved Pace, Dribbling and Passing. His ability to dictate the tempo is just one of the reasons he’s so sought after.

9. Fabiano Parisi 70 > 77

Empoli finished the 22-23 Serie A season in 14th, a solid if unspectacular season. Fabiano Parisi started week in week out at left back and thrived, overlapping when required and more than holding his own defensively against some top tier wingers like Rafael Leao.

Whether he’ll start next season at the Florence-based club is another matter, but he’s set to be a much higher rated card when it commences. In particular, we expect his Defending and Physical stats to make their way above 70, while his Pace and Dribbling should also improve.

10. Lutsharel Geertruida 77 > 81

Lutsharel Geertruida helped Arne Slot’s Feyenoord to their first Eredivise title since 2017, anchoring the Rotterdam side’s defence competently and confidently. He looks set for a move to RB Leipzig (which hasn’t been confirmed at the time of writing) and a move up the EAFC ratings ladder.

We’re guessing a boost into the 80s is on the cards, with specific improvements to passing and defending, among others.

Those are our picks for the top 10 players to get major upgrades with EA Sports FC Ultimate Team. We’re expecting more details on EA’s upcoming title soon, so stay tuned for everything here at Twinfinite.

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