20 Players Who Most Deserve Attention in the FIFA 18 Winter Upgrades
'Tis the season for a winter upgrade, and FIFA 18 will soon duly oblige.
Every February, EA Sports refresh the ratings on hundreds on players in their Ultimate Team mode, upgrading (and downgrading) where necessary and in accordance with this term's performances.
Here, we've nominated 20 players deserving a notable (at least two overall points) uplift, ranging from hipster silver cards who have risen to the fore, all the way through to elite golds who still don't seem to be high enough.
For each player, we've provided their current overall rating (the first number) and a projection (the second number) for what we'd like the upgraded rating to be.
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20. Ferland Mendy, Lyon, 68 to 75
Oh look, another really good French left-back named Mendy. What's going on? Having been plucked from Ligue 2 last summer, it's no surprise Ferland's initial assessment was a little bleak, but now's the time for a change.
19. Giovani Lo Celso, Paris Saint-Germain, 74 to 77
The ease with which Lo Celso carries himself on the pitch is awe-inspiring. Many would fret and worry under the pressures playing for PSG brings, but this Argentinian thrives on it.
18. Nick Pope, Burnley, 68 to 76
Pope has stepped up in place of the injured Tom Heaton and kept Burnley's fantastic season on track. There's no way the two can coexist once the England international returns, but Pope has done enough to prove he's a Premier League-standard goalkeeper.
17. Houssem Aouar, Lyon, 67 to 76
Like Mendy, Aouar has shot from relative nowhere to a starting senior role for Lyon in a short period of time. In these scenarios, FIFA can't help but play catchup.
16. Rodri, Villarreal, 70 to 78
Rodri has impressed so much in the heart of Villarreal's midfield this season, there's already a €20 million deal in place to take him to Atletico Madrid this summer, per Sports Illustrated. Let's see a winter upgrade in rating to reflect that.
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15. Lucas Hernandez, Atletico Madrid, 76 to 80
Lucas Hernandez is a dependable soul: When Atletico Madrid need a solution, no matter the position, he can provide it. His current rating of 76 is starting to look a little low, given how solid he is on the pitch.
14. Jorginho, Napoli, 81 to 84
The signal controller of Serie A's top club should not be rated 81 for too much longer. He might still be a bit of a niche FIFA 18 player given his strengths don't necessarily translate too well to the game, but if Villarreal's Bruno is an 84, so is Jorginho.
13. Ederson Moraes, Manchester City, 83 to 85
The impact Ederson has had on Manchester City's defensive ability is remarkable, but his distribution has outshone even that. Expect his kicking, currently set at 82, to get a big boost.
12. Leon Bailey, Bayer Leverkusen, 76 to 79
When you score stunning backheel goals, you get noticed. Bailey's January effort against Hoffenheim has drawn the spotlight, and now more and more people are seeing what a talent he is. If he gets a boost, he becomes prime super-sub territory.
11. Abdoulaye Doucoure, Watford, 78 to 82
Doucoure has been monstrous in midfield for Watford for the last 12 months, and this season in particular, he has begun flashing the sort of talent the Premier League's top six look for. Bring him at least level with Idrissa Gueye this winter.
10. Samuel Umtiti, Barcelona
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Current Rating: 83
Projected New Rating: 85
Barcelona have been phenomenal defensively this season, with Samuel Umtiti progressing through the gears and matching—if not exceeding—Gerard Pique's level at times.
It brings into question his 83 rating; it was a sensible choice last summer, but the Frenchman is a far better, more polished player than he was six or seven months ago.
When someone such as Raphael Varane is an 85, there's no reason Umtiti shouldn't match up.
9. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Lazio
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Current Rating: 80
Projected New Rating: 83
There have been times this season when Lazio look as though they could rack up 10 goals in a game; when they're hot, they're really hot.
One of the driving forces behind this marvellous attacking effort is Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who has emerged as an all-round midfield star, capable of spraying passes, establishing control and pinging long-range beauties into the top corner.
His current 80-rated card is already somewhat overpowered; if he gets a bump, he'll be unstoppable.
8. Leroy Sane, Manchester City
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Current Rating: 82
Projected New Rating: 84
Leroy Sane's potential upgrade may end up a little cosmetic, as he already plays like a better card than an 82. His insane speed, good dribbling and impressive strength mean that if you use him correctly, he can be devastating despite not ranking alongside the top players overall.
But Manchester City look at their most dangerous when they're feeding Sane the ball and he's working the edge of the opposing defence. His low crossing is lethal and that should come across in the game, as should his finishing—which is clearly more proficient than the 77 he was awarded in the summer.
7. Alisson, Roma
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Current Rating: 80
Projected New Rating: 84
When Ederson Moraes started fast in the Premier League, many raised the question: Why doesn't he start for Brazil?
Well, a quick look at Alisson's performances for AS Roma tell you why. The current Selecao No. 1 has been in sparkling form himself, producing stunning saves and game-saving performances. The clean sheet against Atletico Madrid early in the Champions League group stage, for example, was almost solely down to him.
An 84 rating would not flatter him. It would put him level with Ralf Fahrmann and one below Bernd Leno.
6. Milan Skriniar, Inter Milan
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Current Rating: 74
Projected New Rating: 82
Milan Skriniar has been Inter Milan's star defender in a very successful season, living up to the £20 million fee paid for him in the summer.
He has developed into a player who can do almost anything, be it dominate aerially, tackle and track cleanly, pass from the back well and even hammer in shots from distance.
Upping his rating to 82 would bring him level with the likes of Raul Albiol and Francesco Acerbi; he's better than those two, but he needs a year at a top club under his belt before he's troubling the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly and Kostas Manolas (84).
5. Dayot Upamecano, RB Leipzig
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Current Rating: 69
Projected New Rating: 78
Dayot Upamecano has been a first-choice starter at the heart of RB Leipzig's defence for approximately 12 months now. Having joined in January 2017 and immediately claimed a place in the XI, he's blossomed into one of—if not the—most promising centre-backs in Europe.
For him to be rated 69 is a travesty, and you can expect this to be addressed in the winter upgrades. Upamecano will suddenly become usable, and even at a lower gold rating of around 78, his physical attributes will be off the charts, making him a Jordan Lukaku-type figure.
4. Goncalo Guedes, Valencia
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Current Rating: 74
Projected New Rating: 80
That Goncalo Guedes is only rated 74 seems ludicrous right now, but when these figures were set in the summer, it was a fully justified decision.
The big-money January 2017 move to Paris Saint-Germain didn't go as planned for the Portugal international, and he's surprised a few with how brilliant he's been for Valencia. Fair play to him for placing his career firmly back on track to greatness.
3. Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City
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Current Rating: 89
Projected New Rating: 91
If we're talking about Kevin De Bruyne playing at a Ballon d'Or-worthy level—and Pep Guardiola is, per BBC Sport—then there's no reason he shouldn't rate accordingly.
Elevating the Manchester City man into the 90s may seem like a big call, but he's playing at a level that even Mohamed Salah can't touch right now. He is an assist machine, a pass master and the conductor of Europe's most rabid attack.
2. Raheem Sterling, Manchester City
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Current Rating: 82
Projected New Rating: 84
Raheem Sterling is another Manchester City player who is having himself one hell of a season, with his current 20-goal haul (all competitions) predicted by no one.
Given his transformation into a potent attacking weapon, the original 82 rating given to him last summer feels low now. We're projecting a rise of two to 84, though 85 wouldn't be out of the question.
Specifically, his 71 shooting needs to be upped to at least 80; he's still responsible for a few clangers, but he's undeniably a predator in the box now.
1. Mohamed Salah, Liverpool
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Current Rating: 83
Projected New Rating: 86
If a player has received multiple in-form cards and a Player of the Month special, it's a pretty strong clue pointing to one thing: a significant winter upgrade.
We're projecting an 86 rating though that might still be a little stingy; if he was revamped as an 88, would many complain?
The driving force behind Salah's upgrade is his scintillating, relentless form in the Premier League for Liverpool this season. Sunday's goal and assist against Southampton took his tallies to 22 and seven, respectively—a monster effort that has broken records and instilled fear into opposing defences.
All statistics via FUTWIZ.com
