We are going to look at five players (in no particular order) who have impressed during the 2015/16 season which should constitute in EA Sports handing out well-deserved increases in their overall (OVR) ratings in the upcoming FIFA 17 video game.
1. – Jamie Vardy
There are a few obvious choices that we just simply cannot ignore and Jamie Vardy is one of them. The Leicester City striker has sky-rocketed to new heights after spear-heading Leicester’s 2015/16 league winning campaign by scoring plenty of goals. He broke Rudd Van Nistelrooy’s record of scoring in the most consecutive number of matches in the English Premier League (EPL) with 11 games in a row. He managed to finish in third place in the EPL top scorer chart.
This success saw the England striker win both the “FWA Footballer of the Year”, and the “2016 Barclays Premier League Player of the Season” awards.
Vardy’s overall goals tally of 28 for both club and country should result in EA Sports giving his OVR number a boost from his FIFA 16 OVR of 79.
Our FIFA 17 OVR rating recommendation: 83
2. – Javier Hernandez
Javier Hernandez has had quite the season in the German Bundesliga. After leaving Manchester United via a loan move from Real Madrid, Hernandez moved to Bayer Leverkusen and made an impact.
Although 17 goals were not enough for him to finish as the league’s top goal scorer, the Mexican international did win the Bundesliga’s “Player of the Month” award not once, not twice – but three times in a row. He played a big part in Leverkusen clinching third spot in the league and therefore qualifying for the Champions League.
30 goals for both club and country would suggest that “Chicarito” should be due an increase in his current OVR rating of 82.
Our FIFA 17 OVR rating recommendation: 84
3. – Riyad Mahrez
Our second Leicester City player to make the cut (will he be the last?) is Algerian international Riyad Mahrez.
Along with Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez is a huge reason why Leicester City pulled off the biggest shock in the world of sports by winning the 2015/16 English Premier League. The winger played an instrumental part in a lot of Leicester’s goals and chipped in with quite a few himself.
From the right wing, Mahrez has impressed with his left foot finishes against some of the biggest sides in the league. With 17 goals and 12 assists in the EPL, Mahrez picked up the “PFA Player of the Year” award alongside his league winning medal.
With an added 2 goals for Algeria taking his total 2015/16 goal tally to 19 goals, Mahrez is a shoe-in for a boost from his current OVR rating of 81.
Our FIFA 17 OVR rating recommendation: 85
4. – Paulo Dybala
The 5ft. 9” Argentine is another player who has made a huge impact at a new club in the 2015/16 season.
After moving to Juventus from fellow Serie A side Palermo for €40m, Dybala finished as Juventus’ top goal scorer. He also finished in second place in the Serie A top goal scorer charts behind new teammate Gonzalo Higuaín, scoring 19 goals in the process. Dybala also chipped in with 9 assists to help Juve win their 5th league in a row.
After making such an impact at a bigger club, Paulo Dybala’s OVR rating of 81 definitely needs boosted for FIFA 17.
Our FIFA 17 OVR rating recommendation: 85
5. – N’Golo Kanté
French midfielder N’Golo Kanté is another Leicester City player who was absolutely pivotal in their 2015/16 EPL win.
The defensive-mid was all over the park for Leicester and broke up countless opposition attacks with his great tackling and positional sense. Throughout the season, Kanté also demonstrated his pure athleticism by covering every blade of grass in almost every match he played in. The Frenchman also became the first player in Europe’s top five leagues to win over 100 tackles in the 2015/16 season.
This resulted in his fellow teammates voting for him as their “Player’s Player of the Season” and eventually won a call up for France in Euro 2016 along with a big money move to Chelsea to boot.
After outstanding performances for club and country, N’Golo Kanté deserves a nice boost from his current FIFA 16 OVR rating of 79.
Our FIFA 17 OVR rating recommendation: 84
Do you agree with our choices? Are there any other players that deserve a boost in their ratings for the upcoming FIFA 17 title? Get the conversation going and let us know about it in the comments section below.
