The PES 2020 demo is out – and we now have the opportunity to dig into the player ratings and see who the best players are on the game.
Of course, we only have access to 13 clubs, but with Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Manchester United available, plenty of the finest players can be used in the demo.
Man United had a tricky season last year, losing manager Jose Mourinho, before finding some resurgence under caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. As soon as the Norwegian’s job was made permanent however, their form diminished, finishing sixth in the Premier League.
So how has this affected the Red Devils’ ratings on PES 2020? Have Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez seen a fall, and could the game’s cover star Scott McTominay improve?
RealSport has a look at the squad on the new game.
Manchester United Team Rating
The Old Trafford side have a 4.5 star rating on the demo, made up by an 83 forward rating, 84 midfield and 83 defence.
Starting lineup
The side line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with a very attacking front three.
David De Gea (OVR 90)
Position: GK
Age: 28
Country: Spain
Man United’s best player is the goalkeeper, and even despite a rocky season, few can deny David De Gea of that title. The Spaniard is the best goalkeeper in the world for many, but now 28, he may start looking for more silverware. During his time at Old Trafford he has claimed a Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League, but a man of his calibre should be aiming higher.
Ashley Young (OVR 78)
Position: RB
Age: 34
Country: England
Man United’s captain, but it is likely to be the last season we see Ashley Young at the club. Having converted into a full back from a winger a few years ago, Young’s aggressive attitude has been an asset on a pitch, but the 34-year-old is likely to lose his place to new £50 million signing Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who isn’t on the demo, this season.
Chris Smalling (OVR 79)
Position: CB
Age: 29
Country: England
It’s a do or die season for Chris Smalling, with the former England international one of the leaders on the pitch nowadays. The 29-year-old was dropped from the national setup by Gareth Southgate for his inability to play out from the back, so it is a concern for United fans that he is trusted with that job at Old Trafford.
Victor Lindelof (OVR 83)
Position: CB
Age: 25
Country: Sweden
Victor Lindelof was the club’s best defender last season, but it is still a surprise to see his rating so high on PES 2020. At 25, we should start to see more consistency from the Swede, which is the key feature missing from his game. If he can be the cornerstone of a young defence featuring Wan-Bissaka and Eric Bailly, United can build towards having a solid ack four – something the fans haven’t seen since the days of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.
Luke Shaw (OVR 80)
Position: LB
Age: 24
Country: England
One of few United players to have a useful campaign, Luke Shaw put his injury issued behind him to earn back a place in the England squad. Still only 24, there is still time for Shaw to hit the heights of the best left backs in the world, with last season being the first campaign in his career that he has made 40 appearances.
READ MORE:Juventus PES 2020 ratings
Paul Pogba (OVR 88)
Position: CMF
Age: 26
Country: France
It looks to be make or break for Paul Pogba this season, with the Frenchman set to stay with United after a summer of uncertainty. If Solskjaer can get the best out of Pogba then the club as every chance of qualifying for the Champions League, but if not, he can be detrimental to the changing room atmosphere – exactly what happened prior to Jose Mourinho’s sacking.
Nemanja Matic (OVR 84)
Position: DMF
Age: 31
Country: Serbia
It seemed to be a great acquisition to bring Nemanja Matic to Old Trafford, but with age now against him, the Serb could lose his place this season. Fortunately, the departure of Ander Herrera removes some competition for the former Chelsea man, and he is certainly the most defensively apt of all of United’s midfielders.
Jesse Lingard (OVR 82)
Position: RMF
Age: 26
Country: England
One of the key men for Solskjaer this season will be Jesse Lingard. The England international gives his all whenever he’s on the pitch, and he has the versatility cover a range of positions. At 26, it his him time to be a leading light in this United side and be one of the manager’s lieutenant’s on the field.
Marcus Rashford (OVR 83)
Position: CF
Age: 21
Country: England
Still a young pup at 21, expect this year to be the coming age of season for Marcus Rashford – especially if Romelu Lukaku leaves the club. The England forward has three and half seasons under his belt at the club but is yet to score more than 13 goals in all competitions, with last term the first time he netted 10 Premier League goals in a campaign. Now is the time for him to show he has the calibre of a 20 goals a season striker.
READ MORE: Bayern Munich PES 2020 ratings
Romelu Lukaku (OVR 85)
Position: CF
Age: 26
Country: Belgium
Romelu Lukaku looks to be on his way out of Old Trafford with a trip to Italy set to be on the cards. To PES clubs in Juventus and Inter Milan are waiting to bounce on the Belgian forward, who appears to be fed up of the stick he has received in the England, especially when he has 113 league goals to his name – more than Premier League greats Ryan Giggs, Didier Drogba.
Anthony Martial (OVR 81)
Position: LWF
Age: 23
Country: France
Anthony Martial started the season superbly last year, earning himself a new five-year contract at the end of January. An injury cost him from carrying that momentum into the second half of the campaign, but it is important this term he builds a strike partnership with Marcus Rashford, especially if Lukaku leaves the club.
On the bench
Sergio Romero (OVR 79) provides a trustworthy option should anything happen to David De Gea this season, with the experienced Lee Grant (OVR 74) waiting as third choice.
Marcos Rojo (OVR 78) and Phil Jones (OR 79) both face seasons to save their Manchester careers after struggling with form and fitness over the years. There is more hope for 2016 £30 million signing Eric Bailly (OVR 80) but the 25-year-old must remove any frantic displays like the one against Paris Saint-Germain to have a long and prosperous Premier League career.
Matteo Darmian (OVR 77) was expected to be leaving the club this summer, but his versatility of being able to play right and left back may have saved him, despite falling behind youngster Diogo Dalot (OVR 76) in the pecking order.
Fred (OVR 81) struggled to make any impact following his £52 million move from Shakhtar Donetsk last season, and you struggle to see how he will force his way into the first team this time around.
READ MORE: All you need to know about PES 2020
Much more promise surrounds cover star Scott McTominay (OVR 76) who has already begun to put pressure on Nemanja Matic for the defensive midfield role.
He may now be 32, but Juan Mata (OVR 82) still holds plenty of quality to come and provide some magic for United, and has World Cups, European Championships, Champions Leagues and Europa Leagues to his name.
Andreas Pereira (OVR 77)is another man who adds versatility in midfield, and expect the young Brazilian to get a run in United’s Europa League side this term, as they save their big guns for the domestic campaign.
As for Alexis Sanchez (OVR 85) it is crazy to still see his overall so high. The Chilean has flopped since his move to United 18 months ago, scoring just five goals in 45 appearances, but his astronomic wages makes him a tough player to let go. He may only have half a season to prove he deserves to play for the club.
Turning to youth
With a long Europa League campaign to contend with, expect Solskjaer to give youth plenty of chances this term, especially with the more experienced players not pulling their weight.
Goalkeeper Joel Pereira (ORVR 70) could be loaned out to gain more experience, and we can expect the same for defenders Axel Tuanzebe (OVR 72) and Timothy Fosu-Mensah (OVR 73) who had spells at Aston Villa and Fulham last term, respectively.
READ MORE: Six things we learned playing PES 2020
James Garner (OVR 64) won’t be a familiar name to most, but is highly rated by the manager and could be a long-term solution in holding midfield. Angel Gomes (OVR 65) is United’s youngest ever Premier League player, and although he is still a long way off regular first team action, it could be a season in which he adds a few more minutes to his experience.
Tahith Chong (OVR 66) and Mason Greenwood (OVR 66) are among the brightest talents in the United youth setup, and they look likely to get opportunities this term. In 12 months’ time these could be players pressing for a first team place.
Transfers to come
With still six weeks to go until PES 2020’s release and the transfer window yet to close, this United squad is not finalised. New signings Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James are yet to be added to the squad on the game, and despite both players being 21 years’ old they will have a role to play this term.
In terms of players leaving the club, David De Gea and Paul Pogba look to be staying at the Theatre of Dreams, but question marks still remain over Romelu Lukaku. A potential swap deal for Juventus’ Paulo Dybala has been quashed with Inter Milan also keen on the forward, providing they can ship problematic striker Mauro Icardi.
Premier League clubs have until 5pm BST on August 8 to sign players, but the Italian clubs could still poach him until the 18 August.
PES 2020 comes out September 10. Stay tuned for all the news ahead of the game's release.