With Chinese Super League inclusion, Manchester United set to lose highest transfer budget in FIFA 18 career mode

What’s the story?

FIFA 18 is seven months away, and the game’s previous edition already seems extinct! Gamers from across the world have completed the career mode multiple times with big and small clubs alike. This buffer period indicates an agonising wait for the release of the new edition.

For years now, casual players have immediately selected Manchester United as they always seem to boast of the highest transfer kitty. Once the transfer market initiates, attempts to sign the world’s best players also begin.

With a budget of €120,001,496, it’s highly likely for you to sign either Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi with your very first try, if you decide to splurge it all. But, what if I tell you that EA Sports’ latest introduction in FIFA 18 will completely change the dynamics of the game?

The Chinese Super League(CSL) has recently been in the news for spending unthinkable amount of money on top players from Africa and South America. According to sources, for the first time in FIFA history, a European club is going to lose the highest transfer kitty to CSL club Guangzhou Evergrande.

According to sources close to EA sports, the South China outfit is set to have a budget of €250,000,000 more than double of current ranking topper Manchester United. A source told Sportskeeda, “Three CSL clubs will have a higher budget than most European clubs, this is after we did a close study of the Chinese football market. All the clubs will be updated with their latest kits and rosters. However, I cannot exactly reveal all the details as it is a work in progress.”

In case you didn’t know

According to an Instagram post by CSL franchise Jiangsu Suning striker Teixeira, his team was all set for a FIFA 18 photoshoot last month. This was the first clear indicator of CSL’s inclusion in the world’s most popular sports game. This came with huge community backlash as gamers disagreed with the league’s exclusion.

One reddit user said, “There's no way their top players are gonna be 82-83 rated, they will have their ratings deducted for not being in a 'top league'." However, several looked forward to the possibility of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo playing in the same team as well.

Other top clubs who will lose out to CSL franchises are Paris St. Germain and Manchester City, whose budgets are more than € 100,000,000.

Heart of the Matter

Our source added, “Our community feedback platform had several inputs for an Indian league, in fact it was overwhelming to see. We are currently discussing whether we can include it in the META. A confirmation might come in the next few months.”

Despite the Indian national team featuring on several FIFA, the national league somehow was never showcased. Hence, this could add to FIFA’s existent user base in the country.

Sportskeeda’s Take

In terms of making the game more realistic, the inclusion of Chinese clubs is a positive move. However, the quality of players around the big signing are of major concern. Hypothetically, if one does sign a Lionel Messi who is rated 93, seeing him kick around players with a 55 ranking will be a tad bit funny. Whether this will lead to the selection of Asian clubs, only time will tell.