FIFA 13 | So You Want An… Attacking midfielder (Winter update)

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Usually EA release a big update with all of the transfers sometime in early February. However, this year they did it slightly differently. Since FIFA 13 came out, every year the EA team have made updated OVRs and potentials available for download based on real life player performances. Usually these are just slight tweaks, but after some breakout performances a player’s potential can change a lot (Raheem Sterling is a good example). This is rare, though.

So please bear in mind that the information below is based on the updated squads from 2nd February. However, there’s no need to panic if you downloaded the update on 8th February (or any other subsequent update), as most players will not change (or if they do, it’ll be by a small amount). In any case, this year potentials are very flexible, so if a player you’re interested has his potential lowered in an update, he can still reach his old potential if he plays well for you.

The ‘Avai?’ column is short for ‘available?’ (there is not enough space for the full word), and it refers to whether or not each player is available to buy in the first transfer window. ‘Y’ means yes, they are available, whilst ‘N’ means that they’re not. The number after the ‘Y’ or ‘N’ is the amount of years left on their contract. So ‘Y/2? means that yes, they are available to buy in the first transfer window and that they have 2 years left on their contract. Similarly, ‘N/5? means they’re not available to buy right away and that they have 5 years left on their contract. The ones to look out for are Y/1, as you should be able to get these players for less than their listed value. Players who are on loan will have a “-” in this column because information on their contracts is not available.

There are roughly two types of attacking midfielder in FIFA 13 – the quick player with good dribbling skills who can be played on the wing, and the player who sits behind the strikers and relies on his passing abilities to provide them with a constant stream of service. I have tried to include both types in my recommendations below:

• Adryan
• Kelvin
• Oliver Torres
• Fred

Adryan is a name that will be familiar to many readers. He is my first choice because he is so skilled in such a variety of ways, all belying his young age. He is pacey, he’s only two points from gaining the ‘dribbler’ speciality, he can shoot from all distances, he can score free kicks (and should soon get the relevant speciality) and he can pass. In addition to that he has four stars for both skill moves and weak foot ability and only two years on his contract, so you shouldn’t have to pay a ridiculous amount for him. He should be your number one target.

Kelvin is my second recommendation. He is the only player in this article to have five star skill moves, and his balance and dribbling only need one more point each until he gets the ‘dribbler’ speciality. Put him on the wing and use his pace and dribbling skills to make a mockery of opposition defences. He will be able to use these talents equally effectively when deployed behind the strikers and used to drive through the centre of the defence, and the constant threat he poses should make him a serious consideration for your CAM spot.

Next is Oliver Torres, and he is a different sort of attacking midfielder. His combination of high dribbling ability, four star skill moves and fantastic passing means he is ideally suited to playing in the hole behind the strikers. He is equally adept at beating opposition players with his skills and high balance as he is at setting up his teammates and providing quality service. He is young and will grow a huge amount, and you will soon find him to be a vital assist-maker in your attack. Just note that you may have to wait until January to be able to buy him.

My final recommendation is Fred, and I chose him for two main reasons – his immense physical stats and his goalscoring ability. His physical stats are almost all green (his strength being the notable exception), meaning he’ll be able to run at pace all game long are therefore take advantage of opposition players’ tiredness. His high balance and agility stats mean he’ll skip past defenders with ease, aided by his excellent dribbling. Furthermore, he is one of the few players in this list whose finishing is on a par with their dribbling. Not only will he create chances but he’ll score as well, and in a couple of years he’ll become a massive threat in the opposition box.

You’ll find the full list below: