Gaming

    Revealed: The 10 most-improved players in FIFA 23

    By Harry Edwards

    Revealed: The 10 most-improved players in FIFA 23

    Published: 8:00, 21 March 2023

    FIFA 23 is rolling along and some players may have already started looking elsewhere to get their gaming fix for the second half of the season. But that doesn’t mean it’s dead.

    There is always a lull around this time of the game, especially in Ultimate Team, as players wait for Team of the Season to start. However, there is still a lot of fun to be had, especially in Career Mode.

    One of the draws of Career Mode is bringing up wonderkids and seeing the improvements in ratings as players reach closer to their potential overalls. But some of the bargains from FIFA 22 may be cheap options no more, as EA Sports have recognised their fantastic 2021/22 campaigns with boosts for FIFA 23.

    We’re looking at those kinds of players right now, the top 10 with the biggest jump between initial FIFA 22 overall and their current FIFA 23 rating.

    10. Djed Spence (Tottenham)

    FIFA 22 rating: 65
    FIFA 23 rating: 75
    Rating change: +10

    Djed Spence spent last season on loan at Nottingham Forest from Middlesbrough and was a key member of Steve Cooper’s side that secured promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs. The 22-year-old played 42 times in total in the league for Forest and was directly involved in seven goals, while also completing 76 take-ons. His performances across the campaign meant Spence would be following Forest to the Premier League, but with a different club, signing for Tottenham. It’s not been a good season for real life Spence, but that doesn’t impact his growth in FIFA.

    9. Wilfried Singo (Torino)

    FIFA 22 rating: 65
    FIFA 23 rating: 75
    Rating change: +10

    Wilfried Singo has been a first-team member of the Torino squad since 2020/21 but he truly made his mark last season, playing 35 of the 38 possible games in Serie A. Featuring mostly at right-wing-back, Singo scored three goals and provided a further four assists to help Torino to a 10th-placed finish, with only the top four conceding fewer goals last season.

    8. Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund)

    FIFA 22 rating: 72
    FIFA 23 rating: 82
    Rating change: +10

    Freiburg were so close to securing Champions League football last season but two defeats in their final two matches put paid to the dreams. Nevertheless, their team deserved credit and Nico Schlotterbeck was part of a defence that conceded just 46 goals. The German centre-back, who also made his debut for the national team last March, played in 32 of Freiburg’s 34 Bundesliga matches and his performances not only earned him a rise on FIFA 23 but also a move to Borussia Dortmund. Now challenging for the title with Dortmund, Schlotterbeck may be in for another boost next year.

    7. Castello Lukeba (Lyon)

    FIFA 22 rating: 65
    FIFA 23 rating: 76
    Rating change: +11

    One of our centre-backs to scout last summer, Lukeba enjoyed a breakthrough season at Lyon in 2021/22 having risen through the ranks at the club. Across the campaign the 19-year-old played 24 times in Ligue 1, starting all of those matches, as well as six in the Europa League as Lyon reached the quarter-finals. For his performances, Lukeba was nominated for the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award, eventually won by William Saliba.

    6. Fran Navarro (Gil Vicente)

    FIFA 22 rating: 63
    FIFA 23 rating: 75
    Rating change: +12

    Fran Navarro made the move from Valencia’s B team to the Portuguese Primeira Liga last season, joining Gil Vicente on a free transfer and he wasted very little time in making himself at home. In 32 appearances in the league, Navarro scored 16 goals to help Gil Vicente secure a fifth-placed finish and entry into the Europa Conference League third qualifying round. They were unable to make it to the group stage this season, beaten by AZ Alkmaar in the final qualifying round but Navarro’s contribution was not overlooked.

    5. Nicolo Casale (Lazio)

    FIFA 22 rating: 64
    FIFA 23 rating: 76
    Rating change: +12

    After years out on loan, Nicolo Casale was finally given a chance in the Verona first-team last season and the 24-year-old thrived, playing 36 times in Serie A as his side secured a ninth-placed finish. While the Verona defence as a whole left a lot to be desired, Casale caught the idea of Lazio, who signed the centre-back last summer – making 27 appearances so far.

    4. Vitinha (PSG)

    FIFA 22 rating: 67
    FIFA 23 rating: 79
    Rating change: +12

    Another player to have transferred this summer is Vitinha, who was snapped up by PSG after an excellent campaign at Porto. The Portuguese midfielder may not have ranked highly in the goals and assists numbers but he was one of the key players in Porto’s league-winning squad, a tempo-setting No.8 that helped them control a lot of matches. When PSG signed him not many expected Vitinha to go straight into the starting XI but he quickly became one of Christophe Galtier’s favourite players.

    3. Warmed Omari (Rennes)

    FIFA 22 rating: 62
    FIFA 23 rating: 75
    Rating change: +13

    Before last season Warmed Omari hadn’t played a single game in the French top flight but he made it look as though he had been there for years. The 22-year-old centre-back played 34 times in total for Rennes in the league and helped them secure a fourth-placed finish, just missing out on the Champions League by three points. With Omari at the back, Rennes kept clean sheets against PSG and Marseille in the league and reached the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League.

    2. Tino Livramento (Southampton)

    FIFA 22 rating: 61
    FIFA 23 rating: 75
    Rating change: +14

    Tino Livramento left Chelsea for Southampton last summer with a view to get more first-team football and boy did he. The English right-back (how many good right-backs do England want?!) played 28 times for Southampton in the Premier League before a serious injury curtailed his campaign and didn’t look out of place. Fans who had watched him play at youth level for Chelsea were aware of his potential, but not many could have predicted he’d start Premier League football as well as he did.

    1. Hugo Ekitike (PSG)

    FIFA 22 rating: 62
    FIFA 23 rating: 77
    Rating change: +15

    Hugo Ekitike wasn’t a regular starter for Reims last season but in his 24 appearances in Ligue 1 the teenager managed 10 goals and three assists, which earned him interest from Newcastle and a move to the Magpies looked on. But then PSG saw something shiny and swooped in, adding Ekitike to their already enviable attack, giving him to learn from the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi.

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