The quality changes after you buy the player; that is what some users have reported.
Printable View
I bought a recommended player 5-6 hours ago and did not observe a change. But: He got a few skills after the first cup match and has now one star more (because he only needed 1% for that) and I usually get a message when a player has been "promoted" which wasn't the case here. So I am not sure whether there is a bug or he will loose a star later on...