12 upgraded players in the Football Manager 2024 Main Data Update

The arrival of the FM24 Main Data Update means it’s time to kick-off your newest career.

Squads around the world have been updated, including recent transfer moves and Current Ability changes for thousands of players based on their real-life performances since FM24’s launch.

We’ve dived into the data to identify 12 talents whose recent improvements you should be maximising in FM24. 

Oscar Bobb, Manchester City

Manchester City’s newest Norwegian superstar has been rewarded for his first team breakthrough with one of the biggest Current Ability boosts in England’s top-flight.

Bobb has shown great versatility across the forward line since his league debut in September, leading to improvements to his Flair, Composure and Team Work Attributes.

The 20-year-old isn’t the only City star to see their Current Ability rise. Jérémy Doku’s bright start to life in England has been rewarded, as have the performances of Rico Lewis and Phil Foden. 

Victor Boniface, Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Bayer 04 Leverkusen have been the talk of the footballing world this season thanks to their incredible unbeaten run and their exciting style of play under Xabi Alonso.

Crucial to their success has been striker Victor Boniface, who recorded 10 goals and seven assists in his first 16 Bundesliga appearances.

In addition to being an imposing natural finisher, the Nigerian has proved to be a real team player since moving from Belgium. With upgrades to many of his key Attributes, this 23-year-old looks primed to star for many of you in the seasons to come.

Jack Hinshelwood, Brighton & Hove Albion

Just as they did in FM23, Brighton & Hove Albion have got a breakthrough star with a significant upgrade in the Main Data Update.

Jack Hinshelwood made his Seagulls debut at the tail end of last season but has become a regular this campaign, his ability to play as either a full-back or a defensive midfielder proving very useful to Roberto De Zerbi’s style of play.

The 18-year-old has also contributed three goals and that combination of technical ability and mental maturity has seen his reputation really grow.

Some of Hinshelwood’s teammates are also worth a scout following this update, most notably Jan Paul van Hecke and Billy Gilmour, who have had their best seasons yet in a Brighton shirt. 

Jobe Bellingham, Sunderland

As his brother has smashed all expectations on the game’s biggest stage, Jobe Bellingham has made huge strides himself this season. 

Despite only turning 18 last September, Jobe has established himself as a regular starter for Sunderland, scoring five goals from midfield.

He still has tremendous growth potential but his contributions to Sunderland’s young team have not gone unnoticed and that’s why he’s got big bumps to several Attributes, including his Bravery, Finishing, Off the Ball and Composure. Given what we know about his brother’s development, we suspect a lot more people will be keeping an eye on Jobe moving forward. 

Michael Kayode, Fiorentina

Michael Kayode has already been signed more than 100,000 times in FM24* and it’s no surprise – he’s got all the tools to be an elite Full-Back with great pace, physicality and crossing ability.

We expect that transfer tally to rise even further though following the teenager’s breakthrough to Fiorentina’s first team. He’s made 16 Serie A appearances so far, evenly split between starts and substitute cameos, and he’s looked like he could be the world-class defender our researchers are tipping him to be. 

Now even stronger from the start of your next career, he’s got the potential to be the star of your defence for a long, long time. 

Aleksandar Pavlović, FC Bayern München

Someone else we expect to see even more interest in following the latest update will be young defensive midfielder Aleksandar Pavlović.

The teenager was promoted to the FC Bayern first-team squad after impressive in pre-season and he’s made a solid impact so far, recording two goals and two assists in 10 Bundesliga appearances.

While he’s still not quite the full package, he’s got enormous potential and looks to have all the makings of another homegrown midfield superstar for the Bavarian giants. 

Jonny Rowe, Norwich City

It’s been a somewhat mixed campaign for Norwich City but their brightest spark has been winger Jonny Rowe.

Rowe had been on the fringes of the first-team squad for the last couple of seasons, showing flashes of his ability in a handful of substitute appearances. This season he’s really stepped up under David Wagner, getting a lot of starts and showing exactly what he’s capable off. 

He’s always had great Pace and Dribbling but Rowe has added end product this campaign, firing home 12 goals in 28 Sky Bet Championship games. He’s also made his way into the England Under-21 squad and seems to be a player with a very bright future ahead of him. 

Ali Al-Hamadi, Ipswich Town

The only player on this list that moved in the January transfer window, striker Ali Al-Hamadi swapped AFC Wimbledon for Sky Bet Championship high-flyers Ipswich Town.

Al-Hamadi delighted the Dons fans at the end of last season with his bright start to life at Plough Lane and continued strongly in the 2023/24 campaign, scoring 13 times in Sky Bet League Two to put AFC Wimbledon on the outskirts of the play-off places. 

Those efforts caught the attention of both Ipswich’s recruitment team and our researchers. The Iraq international has had a big upgrade to his Current Ability in FM24 and in real life he’s being tasked with adding more firepower to Ipswich’s bid for back-to-back promotions. 

Cameron Puertas, Union Saint-Gilloise

Union Saint-Gilloise have been a cut above in Belgium this season and key to their table-topping success has been Cameron Puertas.

A hard-working, tough-tackling midfielder, Puertas has proven to be one of the Jupiler Pro League’s most creative players this season. He’s got five goals and 14 assists in 25 league games and a total of 24 goal contributions across all competitions. 

There’s already reportedly interest from France in Puertas’ services for next season, while in FM24 his Current Ability rise makes him a great value option for your latest career. 

Sammie Szmodics, Blackburn Rovers

Not many people would have picked Sammie Szmodics as their Sky Bet Championship top scorer at the start of this season but he has been fantastic for Blackburn Rovers.

Szmodics had got into double digits at his previous clubs Colchester United and Peterborough United but he’d never done it in England’s second tier. He has now though and his 17-goal haul is a huge factor in the Rovers being clear of the relegation places.

In addition to tweaks to his Finishing and Long Shots Attributes, where you’ll really notice Szmodics’ improvements in this Data Update are in his Natural Fitness, Stamina, and Leadership. A well-rounded attacking midfielder, the Irish international could be a key signing for many of you in the coming months.

Mathias Kvistgaarden, Brondby

While Roony Bardghji has been getting all the headlines this season, it’s another winger from the Danish Superliga that’s had a big jump in the FM24 Main Data Update.

Mathias Kvistgaarden caught fire at the end last season and he’s continued that form into this campaign. The 21-year-old, who can play on either wing or up front, has started every league game in 2023/24 for Brondby, racking up five goals and seven assists in the process. 

He seems to be a player that’s living up to his sizeable potential and we expect that you’ll become big fans of him in your latest careers. 

Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, Newcastle Jets

We’re ending this list with a player you might not have heard of before.

Prior to this season, 24-year-old striker Apostolos Stamatelopoulos had split his career between his native Australia and Greece.
He returned to Australia last summer and he’s been a different animal ever since. He’s scored 13 times in 15 A League Men games for the Newcastle Jets, a rate of one goal every 94 minutes and enough to make him the division’s joint top-scorer.

Now with 13 Off the Ball and improved Anticipation, Strength and First Touch Attributes, Stamatelopoulos could well be a great signing for many of you in the near future. 

These 12 talents stood out to us but there are tens of thousands of other players that have earned upgrades across the footballing world in the FM24 Main Data Update. We look forward to seeing you discover them in your latest careers. 

*Data from FM24 (PC/Mac) users only.