Which Players have been Boosted in the Winter Update?

A lot of us jumped straight into a new save when the first part of the winter update was released last week, relishing the chance to take on new challenges with the latest squads. It’s not just the freshest transfers that are included in the update though, as a huge number of players saw their abilities adjusted to reflect their performances in the first half of the season. We sifted through the list and picked out six of the best that you should definitely be sending your scouts out to take a look at.

Andre Onana

Ajax’s shot stopper has been in vintage form this season with eight clean sheets to his name in the Eredivisie and another five in European competition. Onana is a strong all-round ‘keeper capable of producing excellent reaction saves and is both a dominating presence in the air and exceptionally comfortable with the ball at his feet. He’s been linked with a move to the English top flight and, at 23, your starting goalkeeper spot would be sorted for years to come if you brought him in.

Onana isn’t the only Ajax player to benefit from a boost in the winter update. The team is sitting atop the Eredivisie after some impressive performances despite the fact they lost key players in the summer. As a result, several players in the squad have seen big improvements in the latest update. If you’ve never managed in The Netherlands before, now could be the perfect time to give it a go.

Lautaro Martinez

This 22-year-old Argentine is continuing to improve at title-chasing Inter and is already into double figures for league goals this season, leading him to receive a healthy boost to his key attributes. Martinez has got pretty much everything you’d want out of a first-class striker – speed, agility, good football intelligence, technique and a finish that would embarrass many top ‘keepers. He looks set to be an elite striker for years to come.

Ebere Eze

The 21-year-old has stepped up and left his mark on the Sky Bet Championship this season, scoring 11 goals and creating a further six in his first 33 league appearances of the campaign. Able to play out wide or behind the striker, the dynamic youngster has received a boost to some of his key attributes. Eze, a great dribbler who is more than capable of delivering the goods for his teammates from the wide areas and set-pieces, is maturing into one of the best talents outside the top flight.

Odsonne Edouard

Edouard has been a prolific goalscorer in Scotland ever since his debut season for Celtic back in 2017/18. This season has already been his best yet, scoring nearly a goal a game in the league, which has unsurprisingly seen him rewarded with a substantial upgrade in the winter update. His finishing attribute is already up there with the best in the business and his strength and movement make him a handful for any defender.

Gaetano Castrovilli

Italian central midfielder Castrovilli is flourishing at Fiorentina after spending last season on loan in Serie B. He’s cemented his position in the Viola’s starting XI and looks set for a bright future at international level too, with one cap for Italy to his name already. His technical attributes are already very solid, with his dribbling ability standing out, while his agility and stamina make him an ideal candidate to get forward and attack. Definitely a player to monitor closely over the course of your first season.

Seung-Ho Paik

Central midfielder Paik has seen one of the biggest increases in ability in the winter update. He joined Bundesliga 2 side SV Darmstadt 98 on Deadline Day in August last year and has since become a first-team regular at the club. He’s got a set of attributes that you’d want to see from a centre mid with solid technical scores combined with good mental attribute scores in key categories such as determination and work rate. Paik could be a great investment with plenty of years of improvement ahead of him.

Those are just a handful of the players who have seen an attributes boost in the 20.3 update so be sure to send your scouts out far and wide to make sure the best talents are on your radar before they get snapped up by your rivals. For more insights into the Winter Update, check out the 10 teams we think you should be managing and the six transfers we were excited about after the transfer window shut.