EA Sports FC is set to be the successor of the FIFA gaming series but who are the 15 highest rated players at Southampton on this year’s edition?
EA Sports FC 24 is one of the most anticipated gaming releases of the year for all football fans, including supporters of Southampton.
The release will be the first without the accompaniment of FIFA in its title for the first time in the history of the series of games, with EA Sports aligning their vision away from the football governing body.EA Sports FC 24 is a landmark release for EA, as it will also mark the company’s 30th year of creating football video games.
Excitement is building ahead of the release, with the new game available on various platforms such as: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Android, and Microsoft Windows.
EA Sports FC will be released on Friday 29th September 2023, but for those who pre-order the Ultimate Edition, they will be able to play from Thursday 21st September 2023 as part of the early access.
The only trailer that has been released so far was the unveiling on 10th July 2023.
Southampton finished bottom of the Premier League during the 2022/23 campaign and be hoping to make an immediate return to the top-flight for next season.
In terms of departures, Martin’s side have had to deal with high-profile names moving on, with key players leaving in the likes of Mohamed Salisu, Tino Livramento, Romeo Lavia, Nathan Tella, Armel Bella-Kotchap, and club captain James Ward-Prowse all depart the club this summer.
They are players who would likely have been among their higher rated players in the latest iteration of the game, but Southampton have retained some quality from their top-flight stint, and are likely to be among the best sides in the Championship.
Here, we take a look at their 15 highest rated players in the latest version of the game.
15Ross Stewart: 72
In 15th place is one of the Saints’ new boys with an overall rating of 72. Fully fit and at his best he is one of the Championship’s most frightening marksmen and rightfully earnt a move to the club this summer on deadline day.
Stewart suffered from multiple injury issues over the course of last season in the Championship, meaning he was restricted to just 15 appearances, but he scored an impressive 11 goals in that time.
14Alex McCarthy: 72
Also sat on a 72 rating, and the highest-rated ‘keeper at the club, is long-serving stopper Alex McCarthy. The 33-year-old has been at St. Mary’s since 2016 and played over 130 games for the club.
He has had higher ratings in the past but due to being demoted to the bench far more often in recent seasons, he has been downgraded to a silver card.
13Adam Armstrong: 72
Another 72, Adam Armstrong perhaps needed a move back down to the Championship for his confidence, but his talent level at second tier level is obvious, despite not being rated as one Southampton’s very best players.
The downgrade is perhaps due to the fact the 26-year-old scored four goals in 53 Premier League for the Saints, but has already scored regularly upon his return to the second tier this season. He is clinical at this level, having scored 44 in 86 games for Blackburn Rovers in his final two seasons at the club.
12Ryan Fraser: 73
The Newcastle loanee is another player who has previously been rated much higher in the past, but in this year’s game, the winger has an overall rating of 73.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if he made that figure look a bit silly, given his career has taken him to high levels in the Premier League. The last time he played in the Championship with Ipswich, he lit up the league and will hope to do so again to reinvigorate his career on the South coast.
11Stuart Armstrong: 73
Another long-serving Southampton player is the Scotsman, with Armstrong playing over 170 games for the club since his 2018 arrival from Rangers.
Now 31, he is still capable of operating at this level and impacting games, but his powers have waned somewhat from his first years with the club, as is reflected in his rating coming down to a 73 from previous versions of the game.
10Joe Aribo: 73
Aribo is another player in the 73 range. The attack-minded midfielder is a very technically gifted player, capable of playing multiple midfield roles.
His form for Rangers has proved he is capable of operating at a much higher level. The 27-year-old has already been involved heavily under Martin, albeit mostly from the bench.
9Carlos Alcaraz: 73
His four goals and two assists weren’t enough to keep Southampton in the Premier League but he showed signs of promise ahead of a season in the second tier and has a strong rating of 73.
The 20-year-old Argentine attacking-midfielder is a wonderful technician and that will likely be reflected with his dribbling and ball control stats in the game. He’s another who is more likely to be upgraded in time than come down in rating.
8Kamaldeen Sulemana: 74
The first player rated at 74 is Sulemana, with the winger one of the club’s better players in both the real life and virtual world.
The winger is one of the quickest players at the club and also has one of the highest dribbling stats. He has the technical quality and athleticism to thrive in the game and be one of the most effective and fun players to use.
7Jack Stephens: 74
Stephens is another player with a 74 overall, which is a rating he has been around for some time now across various versions of the game.
The 29-year-old centre-back faces stiff competition at the heart of Southampton’s defence but his experience will be vital in real life, could his leadership also be important in the virtual world?
6Ryan Manning: 74
The 26-year-old played 46 games in all competitions last season for Swansea City and collected five goals and 10 assists, playing predominantly as a left-back or left-wing-back in Russell Martin’s system.
Manning picked up the club’s Player of the Year award, and his upgraded overall rating is a reflection of that. He is now a 74, making him one of the best left-back’s in the division both in the game and in the real world.
5Mason Holgate: 74
Holgate was a late addition for Southampton in the window, joining on loan from Everton, where he has been a Premier League player for some time.
However, he has since been downgraded to a silver item in Ultimate Team, with his 74 overall rating one of the lowest he’s had in the game in a while. He will be hoping that the move to join Martin can reinvigorate a stunting career.
4Jan Bednarek: 74
The experience of the Poland international could be vital at the heart of the defence, in what is a young squad at St. Mary’s under Russell Martin. However, Bednarek is yet another centre-back who is rated 74 in the game.
Bednarek has been heavily involved already this season and the 27-year-old is closing in on 200 games for Southampton as well, where he will be hoping to retain his first-choice status.
3Taylor Harwood-Bellis: 74
The final rating of 74 comes in the form of Harwood-Bellis, and he is yet another centre-back at the club who has been given that overall figure.
However, he is arguably the best of the bunch, as he is the only one who has been upgraded since the last version of the game. The England U-21 captain had an excellent season with recently promoted Burnley last term, and will be hoping the current campaign ends the same way with his new club.
2Che Adams: 75
The silver medal goes to Southampton’s Che Adams. The 27-year-old notched 10 goals and three assists in 35 games in all competitions last season, but it wasn’t enough to keep them in the top-flight. However, he maintained his silver card status in Ultimate Team with an overall rating of 75.
He has started the season well, scoring a late winner on the opening game of the season for Russell Martin’s side and against Plymouth Argyle, too. He has been extremely prolific at this level previously, scoring 22 times in 46 games for Birmingham City in his last season at second tier level.
1Kyle Walker-Peters: 76
Walker-Peters is a fairly unsurprising first place in this list, with the full-back’s quality evident in real life as well as in the virtual world. His 76 rating reflects that he is a Premier League standard player and also one of the very best in the Championship in the game.
The 26-year-old rightfully takes top spot and has already shown flashes of his brilliance for the Saints this season, too. Walker-Peters is a must-have for many Ultimate Team players, as well as those building a Southampton career mode team.