FIFA 22: Trevor Chalobah Future Stars Academy Review - Which card to pick

The Future Stars promo is bringing us plenty of top content in FIFA 22 Ultimate Team, not least of which is the Academy Player objectives.

So far we have seen only Trevoh Chalaboh as an Academy Player, but Amine Gouiri and Samuel Chukwueze have both been leaked, so should be joining him soon.

At the end of the objectives, you will be given a player pick between a CB or CDM version of Chalobah, and we're here with a player review of each one to help you make the decision.

Centre-Back

Option number one is Chalobah's 88 OVR centre-back card which boasts incredible defensive and physical attributes.

First Impressions

Quick, strong, and dominant in the air. Chalobah’s centre-back Future Stars card is everything you want from your CB in FUT 22.

Yes, the CDM player pick looks the best option on the face of it, and I was sceptical too when testing out the defender version of the Chelsea youngster.

Stepping in for Rio Ferdinand in defence, Chalobah never put a foot wrong across two Division Rivals matches, scoring once and keeping a clean sheet in the other.

Chalobah exceeded expectations, so much so that I don’t feel like I drew the short straw for having to pick the CB version!

Deep Dive

The best non-Icon English centre-back in the game, and in the top ten Premier League CBs available, Chalobah certainly has pedigree.

Take into account that he is FREE in comparison to the 300k+ coins you will need to sign most of the others, it seems a steal.

In terms of value, none of the other top EPL centre-backs come close, and for total base stats, he ranks joint-second with Flashback Raphael Varane (OVR 92).

Comfortable in possession and immense out of it, this card is ready to use in the competitive modes in FUT 22.

Key Attributes:

• 96 Strength
• 90 Standing Tackle
• 82 PAC

RealSport Rating: 8/10

*Reviewed on PS5 by RealSport101 Sports Editor, Michael Wicherek.

Central Defensive Midfielder

The other choice you have is a CDM version of Chalobah, again 88-rated, but with better pace, shooting, passing, and dribbling stats than the CB option.

First Impressions

My usual Bundesliga heavy lineup needed a complete change to get Chalobah involved, but it did mean I could make Olivier Giroud's Player Moments card my starting striker - he's fantastic if you're wondering!

I was expecting Chalobah to give a similar level of defensive stability to the side that I was used to with Winter Wildcard Sow and Headliners Zakaria, but he turned out to be a different player than I expected.

Yes, he was decent enough at protecting the backline, but he excelled at picking up the ball in tight spaces and powering up the pitch.

Instead of a holding midfielder, he feels much better as a box-to-box centre mid, and despite being 6'3" he is very agile on the ball.

I shouldn't have been surprised by his ability on the ball given his dribbling stats are the highest of his base stats, but there is always a fear that tall and strong players can be a bit cumbersome.

Deep Dive

There is plenty of competition in midfield for top players, even when you reduce the selection to just take into account CDMs.

Just looking at the stats probably won't get you excited about bringing the card into your club.

Excluding Icons, Chalobah is the joint ninth best-rated CDM in the game, with multiple versions of N'Golo Kante, Joshua Kimmich, and Casemiro all rated better.

However, when looking at what rating players should actually receive from their base stats, he is only massively bettered by Kante's special cards.

I was testing him without a chemistry style, but there are multiple ways he can gain the stats of a 93-rated player, even though the most popular choice is a Shadow which sees him rise to a 91-rated player.

He is a top-class player to control and can be yours for free, making him a real bargain.

Key Attributes:

• 93 Strength
• 88 DRI (including 87 Agility and 89 Balance)
• 83 PAC

RealSport Rating: 8/10

*Reviewed on PS4 by RealSport101 Writer, David Luff.

Verdict

The version of Chalobah you go for is ultimately your choice, made harder by the centre-back being surprisingly useful!

If forced to pick, we would advise going for the CDM version over the CB one if there is not an obvious gap in your team.

It has much better stats in dribbling and passing, for only slightly worse defending and physicality, and that can easily be remedied with the right chemistry style.

At the end of the day, if you need a centre-back, you can play the CDM version there and it will still be good.

You can also change the position of the CDM version to help with squad building if you need to but are unable to do so with the CB.

Whatever version you go for you will be getting a top-class player that will be fighting for a place in your starting XI.