EA Sports’ FIFA 17’s FUT offering is a major attraction for gamers who are looking to build their team from scratch in their own image and earn promotion playing in leagues with other gamers worldwide.
There is a virtual transfer marketplace where players are bought and sold individually, or in packs which come at pre-determined prices and go by the name of gold, silver and bronze. A gold pack is likely to have the best players while silver and bronze packs have players of lesser calibre.
The FIFA series is one of EA’s most popular offerings. FIFA 17 was also the fastest selling version of the game to date. Each game in the series comes preloaded with player ratings which are indicative of the level they are playing at and the ability the players show on the pitch.
Also read: FIFA 18: Early prediction for top 10 highest-rated players
Midway through the European season, EA decided to take into account player performances till the winter and accordingly update the ratings of footballers across the globe, thereby affecting the decisions of thousands of pack buyers
While many minor changes to player ratings have taken place, some footballers in Europe’s major leagues have seen major rises in their ratings thanks to EA’s Winter Rating Refresh. On that note, we take a look at the major winners from the Ratings Refresh.
Roberto Gagliardini (61->75)
The 22-year-old Italian had played just 22 times in the Seria A when Inter agreed to pay up to €28 million to Atalanta for the youngster. At the time, they stated that it was not his brief experience he was purchased for but the potential he had shown during his stint in the Seria A.
The youngster's performances have since drawn comparisons with accomplished midfielders like Manchester United’s Paul Pogba and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard. EA obviously realised the potential being shown by the youngster and rocketed his rating from 61 to 75.
Gagliardini now boasts significantly higher attributes as compared to his statistics before his breakthrough as a promising midfielder. His passing received a significant 18 point boost while his physicality and defence received a 15 and 12 point boost respectively.
Idrissa Gana Gueye (76->82)
The 27-year-old Senegal international plays as a defensive midfielder for Merseyside club Everton, who snapped him up from Aston Villa in August 2016 on the back of his consistently impressive performances.
Gueye’s seemingly endless energy resources and dynamic running have been integral to Everton and there are signs of a successful partnership building between Gueye and Frenchman Morgan Schneiderlin. The Senegalese has played 20 Premier League games this season making 74 tackles and 45 interceptions in his outings.
EA gave Gueye a six-point rating boost after he recorded the highest number of successful tackles and interceptions per game across the top five leagues in Europe. His N’Golo Kante-esque performances have earned him two-point improvements in all attributes except pace, in which he has earned a four rating point boost.
Kepa Arrizabalaga (73->79)
So good have Kepa Arrizabalaga’s performances been this season that Arsenal and Real Madrid are rumoured to be in the race for Athletic Bilbao’s highly rated young goalkeeper. The San Mames club are eighth in the La Liga and are being driven on by the policy of promoting local Basque talent.
The 22-year-old received a six-point boost, taking him from 73 to 79 with his handling and positioning attributes receiving 11 and 7-point boosts respectively. The Spaniard’s reflexes and diving have also seen upward movement with both receiving a three-point boost.
The 22-year-old has impressed as Bilbao’s last line of defence and has the potential to follow in the steps of Basque footballers like Ander Herrera and Javi Martinez. Arrizabalaga is contracted to the club till 2018 but they are unlikely to turn down substantial bids for the young goalkeeper when they arrive.
Yeray Alvarez (72->77)
Yeraz Alvarez is another promising Spanish footballer being developed by Athletic Bilbao and another to receive a substantial rating boost in EA’s Ratings Refresh. The 22-year-old central defender’s promising development was briefly halted in December 2016 after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and had to undergo surgery.
Alvarez’s impressive performances before the setback were recognised by EA who gave him a five rating-point boost in the winter ratings upgrade. The defender’s dribbling and defence attributes increased by six and five points respectively, contributing to an overall rise from 72 to 77.
The Spaniard has since returned to Bilbao’s lineup, making the bench in their win over Sporting Gijon in late January while making his return to the starting eleven in Bilbao’s 3-0 defeat to Barcelona on the 4th of February.
Wylan Cyprien (71->78)
Young French prospect Wylan Cyprien came through the youth ranks at Ligue 1 club, Lens and now plays as an attacking midfielder for OGC Nice along with Italian striker Mario Balotelli. Nice are currently third in Ligue 1, level on points with Paris Saint-Germain and three points behind league-leaders Monaco.
Nice’s remarkable run as title contenders has seen a vital contribution from the midfielder, who has scored seven goals and provided three assists in an impressive season. Taking account of his performance’s, the Ratings Refresh has seen Cyprien’s rating receive a seven-point boost, taking him to an overall rating of 78.
Cyprien’s shooting, passing, defending and physical attributes have each seen a double-digit increase while his pace and dribbling have two and five point boosts each. His recent exploits saw him score the winning goal against St. Etienne which saw Nice draw level with PSG in second place.
