With the next instalment of the FIFA video game franchise launching on the 27th of September, many prospective players will be drawing up their plans for starter squads as they look to gain an edge over the rest of the competition.
This guide will provide a number of options from Manchester United’s squad that balance both predicted cost with the quality of the player.
The ratings for a number of players were released on Twitter over the last week, with confirmed ratings being revealed in the last couple of days.
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It was revealed that, while Manchester United’s squad ratings were the worst they had been for a number of years, the club was home to the most 5-star skilled players in the game.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Antony, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho make up the list of Manchester United’s most skillful players according to FIFA 23’s skills ratings.
It is always difficult to fully gauge the FIFA player market early on, with prices often inflated due to a lack of supply in the game’s early stages.
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Rough predictions as to a player’s value can be made however, allowing this guide to give a reasonably accurate assessment of a player in relation to their cost to effect ratio.
While pace has often proved to be the meta in FIFA games, especially in the most recent instalment of the franchise, it appears that a player’s pace has less importance this year as the game has been slowed down, with more acute passing and crossing proving to be more effective.
Jadon Sancho
Whilst Sancho may seem like an obvious player of quality in the United side, his early market price in the game doesn’t appear to reflect his utility in game.
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The English winger was subjected to a -3 downgrade in his overall rating this year, with this reflecting a relatively poor debut season at Old Trafford.
However, what makes the winger stand out is his 5-star skill rating, meaning he is able to produce the game’s hardest but most rewarding skill moves in order to beat opponents.
This, combined with his 89 dribbling rating, works well to exploit the game’s slowed speed and allow the player in control to use more intricate methods to outplay their opponent, rather than relying on the classing chipped through ball that has been so powerful in previous years.
Currently going for between 7,000 and 8,000 (28/09/22) depending on platform, Sancho could prove to be a wise early investment to kickstart starter squads and qualify for the early rounds of FUT Champs.
Anthony Martial
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Another player subjected to a downgrade, despite his new rating of 81, Anthony Martial is a solid contender for starter squads for a number of factors.
Firstly, the former Golden Boy winner provides a 6 foot frame, which complements the game’s new emphasis on crossing.
The increased height advantage compared to many other strikers will see the Frenchman put away an extra couple of chances than other, shorter alternatives may struggle with.
In addition to this, Martial has both a 4-star weak foot and 4-star skills, meaning players using him will have extra flexibility when trying to carve out chances going forward.
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At only about 2,500 coins, Martial provides an ideal candidate for players looking to build a cheap BPL or French squad at the beginning of the game before inevitably upgrading.
Donny van de Beek
Another surprising candidate, the Dutchman could be the perfect box to box midfielder for starting squads due to his all-round stats and work rates.
Van de Beek boasts a high attacking work rate and a medium defending work rate, meaning players can expect to see him all over the pitch in-game, with this being extremely effective if the players sets his team up to aggressively press.
Furthermore, Van de Beek’s card ratings are all above 70, apart from pace which as mentioned, is far less crucial than previous games.
This indicates Van de Beek’s promise as a complete midfielder in-game for players to use as an initial starter before upgrading further into the game.
The Dutchman currently goes for less than 1,000 coins, meaning that there is little risk in trying out the midfielder in a box-to-box role which should complement his work rates and attributes the most
These three early options all provide players with cheap options to test in the early stages of 23, with each one providing value for their price.
It is important to stress that while these players provide options early on in the game, it will not be long before they are eclipsed by far more effective and viable options.
In the meantime however, each of these players will prove adequate as players get their feet off the ground.
Featured Image Credit: EA SportsTopics: Manchester United, Donny van de Beek, Jadon Sancho, Anthony Martial, FIFA 23