9 strikers who need FIFA 16 downgrades

The first weekend of Premier League action has come and gone and that means we are a week closer to the release of FIFA 16.

We’re still a couple of weeks away from the release of the demo so as we continue our build-up to the release of the game we will look at FIFA 16 downgrades. We’ve covered plenty of players who deserve boosts so now it is time to look at those who need to be taken down.

For the first edition of this we’re going to look at strikers who need FIFA 16 downgrades. If you’ve got a good striker the state of the rest of your team won’t always necessarily matter. There are far too many strikers on FIFA 16 whose ability doesn’t mirror their form in real life. We have looked through some of the stats in the game and from real life last season to pick out nine strikers who need FIFA 16 downgrades.

Radamel Falcao (88>84)

When Radamel Falcao arrived in Manchester last season on loan from Monaco there was a tremendous deal of excitement. A year on with a disappointing first season in England that hype has completed vanished and he will be one of the biggest FIFA 16 downgrades. We haven’t seen anything from his two appearances for Chelsea so far to suggest he should maintain he should be anywhere near 88 and with 84 we’re probably actually being a bit generous. A more likely scenario is a downgrade to 82 or 83 with just four goals and few convincing performances in the past 12 months.

Roberto Soldado (81>78)

How long can Tottenham Hotspur persist with Roberto Soldado? Many have labelled him as their equivalent of Torres and he should be one of the FIFA 16 downgrades. Unlike Torres, Soldado is actually still very usable on FIFA 15 at the moment and that can’t be the case for FIFA 16. His finishing is an astonishing 84 with pace of 76 as well. That needs to change in the new game.

Fernando Torres (81>79)

If Falcao’s decline is alarming Torres’ is actually slightly sad. Before his move to Chelsea there were few strikers in the world feared more than Torres and now he’s in a list of FIFA 16 downgrades. Unfortunately, his return to Atletico hasn’t reignited his career as many would have hoped with just three goals in the league last season. Torres doesn’t need as big a downgrade as Falcao but a small bump down into the 70s.

Seydou Doumbia (82>79)

This one isn’t going to be very popular, but it does make logical sense. On FIFA at the moment Seydou Doumbia is arguably one of the best five strikers in the game thanks to his incredible pace and solid finishing ability. He is lethal and he makes Roma one of the best teams in the game which just doesn’t make sense given he’s only scored twice in Serie A since joining the Italian side. He needs one of the biggest FIFA 16 downgrades to stop him remaining the force of nature he currently is.

Fernando Llorente (81>77)

Like so many others on this list it is clear that Llorente needs a move away in order to help him get back on track. With the likes of Simone Zaza, Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic all arriving it’s unlikely Llorente has much of a future in Turin. Even with a move we think needs a drop down into the 70s with his finishing of 84 in particular a standout for us.

Emmanuel Adebayor (80>75)

Go back a few seasons and Adebayor was more or less unplayable on FIFA, he was that good. The Togolese international had the perfect blend of pace, power and technique but sadly those days are behind him. Spurs seem desperate to shift him and he needs one of the biggest FIFA 16 downgrades. Two goals and a number of poor performances last season show why Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t see him as part of his plans.

Alvaro Negredo (83>78)

Alvaro Negredo is in a bit of a strange situation at the moment. Last summer when he joined Valencia it was seen as an excellent opportunity for him to return home and rediscover his scoring touch. However Valencia have been forced to purchase him at the end of the loan but they don’t want him and now he’s in limbo. Looking at his form last season he should be part of the FIFA 16 downgrades with just five goals in 30 games and it’s no wonder Valencia don’t want him.

Mario Balotelli (82>78)

There can’t be too many players who are as difficult for game developers as Mario Balotelli. In terms of ability few are doubting that the Italian is a very talented player but his attitude means that we hardly ever see it in real life. In the game Balotelli is still a very good player and we’ve decided to include him in the FIFA 16 downgrades because it’s been a while since the forward has sparkled. With one Premier League goal since his return to England Balotelli has a lot of work to do to get back into the 80s.

Robin van Persie (88>85)

Robin van Persie doesn’t need the same drop as former team-mate Radamel Falcao and we think he’ll probably end up around 85 or 84 in the FIFA 16 downgrades. He may have scored ten league goals last season but whenever he played he looked woefully short of sharpness and he’ll be hoping a move to Fenerbahce can help him find form. Van Persie’s physicals at the moment are still decent and his technicals are through the roof, that doesn’t sound right for a 32-year-old.