Manchester United ace Mason Greenwood and Arsenal wonderkid Gabriel Martinelli – One player from every Premier League club who deserves an upgrade on FIFA 21
We’re approaching a new season and you know what that means? A new FIFA game.
The coronavirus pandemic has pushed the entire sporting calendar back – and the virtual world is not exempt.
Kylian Mbappe is the cover star for the 2021 edition
EA Sports’ latest version of the popular video game will come out on October 6, one day after the transfer window shuts, instead of its usual September release.
But while we won’t get our hands on FIFA 21 in September, we will discover which players have received an upgrade to their previous ratings.
The ratings reveal has become a bit of a ceremony in recent years, with EA Sports counting down the top 100 players two weeks before the game’s release.
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A lot can change over a season, meaning previous ratings can expire very quickly. For example, Mason Greenwood and Gabriel Martinelli aren’t even in the seventies.
But it’s not just young players who show their value over a season – the likes of Danny Ings have also proven themselves to be underrated.
Here, talkSPORT.com picks out one player from every Premier League club who can expect an upgrade.
We can’t wait for FIFA 21
Arsenal: Gabriel Martinelli – 68 to 75
The teenage wonderkid was emerging as one of Arsenal’s best player before a knee injury cruelly ended his 2019/20 campaign.
It looks set to rule him out until 2021, but don’t expect his ten goals in 23 matches to go unnoticed on FIFA 21.
Aston Villa: Jack Grealish – 77 to 82
After creating the second-most chances in the Premier League last season, behind only Kevin De Bruyne, Grealish has climbed into the England squad and should also climb into the eighties on FIFA.
It just remains to be seen whether he will be wearing an Aston Villa shirt or a Manchester United shirt.
Grealish has received his first England call-up
Burnley: Nick Pope – 80 to 83
The Englishman has established himself among the very best goalkeepers in Europe.
In fact, Pope narrowly missed out on the Premier League Golden Glove last season, getting just one less clean sheet than Manchester City’s Ederson.
Brighton: Ben White – 68 to 74
If this transfer window has told you anything, it’s that a lot of people reckon he’s quite good. Chelsea and Liverpool were both linked.
Not only did Leeds bid £25m for him after such a great loan spell, but Brighton rejected it and offered him a bumper new deal.
White excelled in a loan spell at Leeds last season
Crystal Palace: Eberechi Eze – 71 to 75
What a signing this is by Crystal Palace.
Eze lit up the Championship last season and that should be reflected in the 22-year-old’s new rating.
Chelsea: Billy Gilmour – 62 to 72
Perhaps the most underrated player on FIFA? Nobody will get a bigger upgrade than Billy Gilmour, who embarrassed Liverpool’s midfield on his debut in February.
Like Martinelli, an untimely injury put a halt to his progress, but at least now we know how talented he is.
Gilmour stole the show on several occasions last season
Everton: Dominic Calvert-Lewin – 77 to 80
The arrival of Carlo Ancelotti saw Calvert-Lewin evolve into one of the more regular goalscorers in the Premier League last season.
He is still only 23 and rumours were linking him with a £50m move to Man United, so surely he deserves an upgrade.
Fulham: Joe Bryan – 73 to 76
Give this guy an upgrade based solely on his Play-Off final heroics.
But aside from grabbing the two goals that sent Fulham up (from left-back), Bryan was one of their standout performers for the entire campaign.
Bryan was part of Fulham’s mega spending in the summer of 2018
Leeds: Kalvin Phillips – 75 to 78
If he’s good enough for Gareth Southgate, he’s good enough for us.
Phillips was so good last season, he got himself into the England squad without making a single Premier League appearance.
Leicester: Caglar Soyuncu – 79 to 83
The Turkey international has gone from a relatively unknown Leicester outcast to a Barcelona target in the space of one season.
That’s worth an upgrade, we reckon.
Soyuncu is rated among the best centre-backs in the Premier League – and perhaps in Europe
Liverpool: Trent Alexander-Arnold – 83 to 85
Alexander-Arnold is by far the highest-rated player on this list, but it’s still not enough.
Many would rank the Liverpool and England star among the very best in the world, so that 83 rating must be improved.
Manchester City: Phil Foden 76 to 80
Is this the season Foden finally steps out of David Silva’s shadow? Maybe not if a certain Lionel Messi arrives.
It was still something of a breakthrough season for the young Englishman, who will surely go on to become a star at the Etihad regardless.
Foden scored seven goals in a breakthrough season
Manchester United: Mason Greenwood – 67 to 76
He’s 18, he starts for Man United, and he got into double figures in the Premier League last season.
Enough said, really.
Newcastle: Allan Saint-Maximin – 79 to 81
Ask any Newcastle fan and they’ll tell you this guy needs an upgrade.
Not least because he managed to provide such inspiration in a relatively average team, like Grealish.
Saint-Maximin was easily Newcastle’s best player last season
Sheffield United: John Egan – 77 to 79
You could pick any of the Sheffield United back three, but we’ve gone for Egan.
Chris Basham and George Baldock will surely be on the rise too, as will most of Chris Wilder’s team.
Southampton: Danny Ings – 76 – 80
It’s taken a while, but after a career almost ruined by injuries, Ings is among the best strikers in the Premier League.
The Englishman was only one goal away from Jamie Vardy’s Golden Boot-winning total last season.
Ings was level on goals with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang last season
Tottenham: Japhet Tanganga – 65 – 71
Jose Mourinho’s record with youth isn’t the best, so it makes you stand up and notice when the Spurs boss picks Tanganga.
While his game time tailed off and he was hit by injury, the 21-year-old was seriously impressive during his brief spell in the team.
West Brom: Matheus Pereira – 76 – 79
Eight goals and 16 assists (16!) will not go unnoticed by the EA Sports team.
We’re expecting the Brazilian playmaker to make a name for himself in the Premier League next season.
Matheus Pereira was on fire last season
West Ham: Declan Rice – 78 – 82
The England international is so much more than a midfield destroyer and that’s not really reflected in his current rating.
This is a player with bags of technical ability and it’s no wonder West Ham are asking Chelsea to pay £80m for him.
Wolves: Adama Traore – 74 to 80
If Liverpool and Manchester City are after you, then you shouldn’t be rated 74 on FIFA.
On his day, Traore is quite simply unstoppable and his potential is frightening now that he’s added some end product to his game.
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