The January transfer window has slammed shut, and some players may have moved, but it also marks the halfway point of the season. As the dust settles on another hectic window, it’s a great opportunity to evaluate how players have fared during the first half the campaign.
On FIFA 19’s Ultimate Team, this is done by the Ratings Refresh, with a whole host of players since their overall ratings improved to reflect how well they have performed in the season so far. RealSport predicts five players from the Premier League who could be set for an increase.
Virgil van Dijk (OVR 85 → 88)
Perhaps the best player in the Premier League this season, Virgil van Dijk has single-handedly transformed Liverpool’s defence. The 27-year-old’s arrival in January last season helped the Reds reach the Champions League final and finish in the Premier League top four, but it’s been even greater this time around. Jurgen Klopp’s side have conceded just 14 goals in the league as they top the table, with Van Dijk featuring in all 24 games and skippering the side on five occasions.
We expect the Dutch Van Dijk to improve from 85 to 88 this winter, with his current base card priced at 136,000 coins on PS4 and 124,000 on Xbox One in Ultimate Team. An 86 Champions League item is worth 256,000 on PS4 and 345,000 on Xbox One, with an 87 in-form card from TOTW 10 is valued at 438,000 coins on PS4 and 400,000 on Xbox One. The centre back also has an 87 live UCL Road to the Final card setting you back 628,000 on PS4 and 589,000 on Xbox One, and let’s not forget his 95 Team of the Year card which requires a crazy 1.4 million coins on both consoles.
Anthony Martial (OVR 83 → 85)
Many of the Manchester United squad have seen a resurgence under interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but Anthony Martial was still giving his all when Jose Mourinho was in charge. The Frenchman bagged seven Premier League goals under the previous boss and took his tally to eight in Solskjaer’s first game in charge. With the left winger in this form, Manchester United could even be favourites against a Neymar-less PSG in the Champions League knockouts, and he’ll certainly have an eye on getting back into a highly competitive French squad.
Martial is deserving of an increase from 83 to 85, with his current card worth 3,700 coins on PS4 and 4,300 on Xbox One. An 84 Champions League item will set you back 50,500 on PS4 and 55,000 on Xbox One and an 85 LM in-form from TOTW 6 costs 100,000 on PS4 and 107,000 on Xbox One.
Marko Arnautovic (OVR 82 → 84)
Marko Arnautovic came close to leaving West Ham in January, but a U-turn thanks to a fresh new contract has kept the Austrian in East London. It’s a good job he did for Hammers fans, with the striker scoring seven goals and adding two assists in 17 Premier League games, with the club bouncing back from losing their first four matches to now being in 12th place in the league. With just four points separating them for Wolves in seventh, expect them to rise the table even more before the season’s end.
Arnautovic’s 82 overall could rise to a very strong 84 if he is refreshed, with his current card a bargain at just 800 coins on PS4 and 750 on Xbox One. An 86 in-form card from TOTW 17 costs 81,000 on PS4 and 90,000 on Xbox One.
Richarlison (OVR 77 → 81)
It was a surprise to see Richarlison only receive a 77 overall rating when FIFA 19 was released, considering he had just made a £40 million move from Watford to Everton. For the Toffees he has operated both on the left wing and as a striker, scoring 10 Premier League goals, which is joint fifth in the division. It has been an up-and-down season for Everton, winning three games on the spin just once, but with no domestic cups now to worry about, they can look to topple Wolves in seventh, which may be enough for a European place at the end of the season.
The new Brazilian international Richarlison deserves to rise from 77 to 81 for his goals this season, and with 12 appearances as a striker, his position could also change. His current base card is worth only 650 coins on PS4 and 850 on Xbox One, but an 81 ST in-form from TOT 8 costs 25,000 on PS4 and 30,000 on Xbox One. His 81 live Ones To Watch card comes in at 29,500 coins on PS4 and 30,000 on Xbox One.
Callum Wilson (OVR 78 → 80)
We finish with another man who has 10 Premier League goals to his name this season, with Callum Wilson firing Bournemouth into the top half of the table. The striker was linked with a big money move to Chelsea over the transfer window following his success with the Cherries, and a goal on his England debut against USA in November. If he continues his form for the rest of the season, a summer transfer may be on the cards.
Wilson’s 78 overall deserves to cross the 80 threshold, with the forward costing 700 coins on PS4 and 800 on Xbox One in Ultimate Team.