The Transfers - FPL Watchlist of New, Returning and Moving Talent

Here is WFC_17’s wrap-up of the EPL transfer window, with the major and key transfer activities for each club so far, highlighting where players have come from, their position, some key stats and the FPL Potential Rating for each player. An in depth analysis is presented for players with high FPL potential, that should be considered for team selections. Players will continually be added to the list as more transfers occur before the window closes and the season begins.



Arsenal

Alexandre Lacazette (€53mill)
Position Striker
Age - 26
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Lyon (242)
Career Goals - 114
Career Assists - 26
FPL Potential Rating 10/10 Bags of quality in front of goal. A big price tag from the recent transfer will not diminish the Frenchman’s scoring feats. Having on average for the last 3 Ligue 1 seasons – 2.85 shots on target per game and an outstanding 1.76 successful take-ons per game over the same period, Lacazette will benefit majorly from the service of Mesut Özil and Aaron Ramsey. This benefit will move onto FPL mangers who will see big points return tallies should they own the £10.5 striker. An Arsenal goal explosion could occur if both Lacazette and Alexis Sánchez compete with each other for golden boot honours.    


Sead Kolasinac (Free)
Position – Left Back
Age - 24
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) – Schalke (117)
Career Goals - 4
Career Assists - 11
FPL Potential – 6/10 A solid attacking defender option that possess the ability to provide decent attacking return points while picking up handy clean sheet points. At £6.0 though, other defenders who are proven points scorers like Laurent Koscielny and Hector Bellerín look better options. Don’t count out the Bosnian though as being a capable asset.


Bournemouth

Nathan Akè (€22.7mill)
Position Left Back/Centre Back
Age – 22
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Chelsea (10), Reading (5), Watford (24), Bournemouth (10)
Career Goals - 4
Career Assists - 2
FPL Potential Rating – 7/10 FPL 2015/16 and 2016/17 boded well for Nathan Akè, who found himself in many squads due to his low price tag but playing abilities. The perennial Chelsea loanee has secured a permanent move and stay at his 2016/17 club, Bournemouth. This has sparked FPL managers to take note as his 3 goals in 10 appearances last season is a great return for a young defender. Operating across all backline positions and sometimes thrown into central midfield due to his creative ability, gives FPL managers a selection dilemma as Akè could play well above his £5.0 value. 

Asmir Begović (€11.5mill)
Position Goalkeeper
Age – 30
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Portsmouth (17), La Louviere (2), Macclesfield Town (4), Bournemouth (8), Yeovil Town (16), Ipswich (6), Stoke (173), Chelsea (33)
Career Clean sheets – 74
FPL Potential Rating – 9/10 With a strong defensive driven team, Begović has the ability to be a top goalkeeping option in the 2017/18 FPL season. A fabulous 1-on-1 shot stopper, means FPL save points, which every manager craves. With a point to prove after a dismal spell at Chelsea, playing second fiddle to Thibaut Courtois, Begović possess the ability to be once again in the upper tier of Premier League Goalkeepers.



Jermain Defoe (Free)
Position Striker
Age - 34
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) West Ham (105), Bournemouth (31), Tottenham (177), Portsmouth (36), Tottenham (186), Toronto (21), Sunderland (93)
Career Goals - 269
Career Assists - 45
FPL Potential Rating – 7/10 As always a handy forward to have in FPL to have. Past his blistering best but still capable of returns, with 166 points accumulated in season 2016/17. An average of 2.7 shots per game last season should put him in the discussion once again for golden boot. With the better supporting cast this season than at Sunderland, Defoe could have one last big year in him. The possibly of being penalty taker is an added bonus. A cheaper price of £8.0 could beneficial to allow other premiums to be owned.

Conor Mahoney (Free)
Position Right Midfield
Age – 20
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Accrington Stanley (6), Blackburn (21)
Career Goals - 0
Career Assists - 3
FPL Potential Rating – 3/10


Brighton

Mat Ryan (€6mill)
Position Goalkeeper
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Central Coast Mariners (94), Club Brugge (102), Valencia (23), Genk (24)
Age - 25
Career Clean sheets - 91
FPL Potential Rating – 6/10 A quality mid-range goalkeeper that can perform above his FPL price tag. With superb passing abilities and close range shot-stopping, these assets could be vital for Brighton to push for survival in the Premier League and also give FPL managers the possibility of a continuous flow of saves and bonus points with Ryan averaging 2.96 saves per game over the last 3 seasons.

Markus Suttner (€4.5mill)
Position Left Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) FK Austria Vienna (259), FC Ingolsladt (44)
Age - 30
Career Goals - 15
Career Assists - 44
FPL Potential Rating – 6/10 A possible bolter in FPL at £4.5, Suttner operating as a left-back has shown to be a very proficient attacking threat in his past tenures at Austria Vienna and FC Ingolsladt with 11 goals and 39 assists coming when being utilised on the left flank. If this ability transfers to form at Brighton, he could be a handy differential pick-up.

Ezequiel Schelotto (€3mill)
Position Right Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Cesena (66), Catania (14), Atalanta (91), Inter Milan (13), Sassuolo (12), Parma (16), Chievo (29), Sporting Lisbon (43)
Age - 28
Career Goals - 17
Career Assists - 23

FPL Potential Rating – 5/10

Tim Krul (Loan)
Position Goalkeeper
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Newcastle (1), Falkirk (26), Carlisle (9), Newcastle (184), Ajax (0), AZ Alkmaar (7)
Age - 29
Career Clean sheets - 68
FPL Potential Rating – 7/10

Burnley

Jack Cork (€9.1mill)
Position Defensive Mid
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Chelsea (0), Bournemouth (9), Scunthorpe United (35), Southampton (25), Watford (21), Coventry (21), Burnley (46), Southampton (127), Swansea (83)
Age - 28
Career Goals - 12
Career Assists - 19
FPL Potential Rating – 7/10 Although Cork is well travelled, he has Premier League experience galore. Finding form last season for Swansea with on average 43 touches per game and an 84% pass accuracy has made the £4.5 midfielder a fantastic 4th/5th midfield option to have, as he will seemingly play 90mins consistently throughout the 2017/18 campaign.



Jonathan Walters (Undisclosed)
Position Right Wing
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Bolton (6), Hull (11), Barnsley (12), Hull (41), Scunthorpe United (3), Wrexham (41), Chester City (33), Ipswich (146), Stoke (271)
Age - 33
Career Goals - 117
Career Assists - 58
FPL Potential Rating – 5/10

Charlie Taylor (Free)
Position Left Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Leeds (104), Bradford (4), York City (5), Inverness (8), Fleetwood Town (42),
Age - 23
Career Goals - 3
Career Assists - 20
FPL Potential Rating – 4/10


Chelsea

Alvaro Morata (€65.5mill)
Position - Striker
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Real Madrid Castilla (83), Real Madrid (52), Juventus (93), Real Madrid (43)
Age - 24
Career Goals - 103
Career Assists - 36
FPL Potential Rating – 10/10 A superior striker that knows how to find the back of the net efficiently, having only 2.1 shots per game, with 1.8 from inside the box but still racking up goals, 20 coming in his last stint with Real Madrid from a meagre 43 appearances. This form translating over to an already talent stacked Chelsea side could put Morata FPL stock value with the best Premier League strikers such as Kane, Lukaku and Agüero. Priced at £10 is slightly cheaper than other big hitters, so turn away and ignore Morata at your own peril.

Tiemoue Bakayoko (€40mill)
Position Defensive Mid
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Rennes (28), Monaco (92)
Age - 22
Career Goals - 6
Career Assists - 1
FPL Potential Rating – 4/10

Danny Drinkwater (€38mill)
Position Centre Mid
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Manchester United (0), Huddersfield (37), Cardiff (12), Watford (12), Barnsley (18), Leicester (218)
Age - 27
Career Goals - 18
Career Assists - 36

FPL Potential Rating – 5/10


Antonio Rudiger (€35mill)
Position Centre Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Stuttgart (101), AS Roma (72)
Age - 24
Career Goals - 7
Career Assists - 6
FPL Potential Rating – 8/10 With the Chelsea defence keeping the most amount of clean-sheets in the 2016/17 campaign (16), Rüdiger can cash in for FPL on these points returns. Not as lively of a threat going forward as some of his defensive counterparts, the German international can pick up valuable points for FPL managers through tough and solid defensive duties, similar to the likes on Vincent Kompany and Laurent Koscielny have done in the past. Averaging 1.7 successful tackles and 1.7 aerial duels won per game in the 2016/17 season with Roma, those numbers a something to take note of.

Willy Caballero (Free)
Position Goalkeeper
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Boca Juniors (19), Elche (195), Arsenal Sarandi (13), Malaga (133), Manchester City (47)
Age - 35
Career Clean Sheets - 113
FPL Potential Rating – 2/10


Crystal Palace

Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Loan)
Position Centre Mid
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Chelsea (32)
Age - 21
Career Goals - 5
Career Assists - 10
FPL Potential Rating – 6/10 The youngster from Chelsea on loan at Palace could pose to be a very good acquisition for FPL this season, as his extremely low price (£4.5) and first XI status along with his attacking prowess could give managers a consistent points getter and allow them to stock up on other premium players. With not much top flight experience to go on, FPL managers will have to take a gamble that the Englishman can produce for the entirety of a Premier League campaign, with his strong dribbling and finishing for a central midfielder being the most noteworthy asset of taking that gamble. 


Everton

Gylfi Sigursson (€50mill)
Position Attacking mid
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Reading (51), Shrewsbury Town (6), Crewe Alexandra (15), Hoffenheim (39), Swansea (19), Tottenham (83), Swansea (112)
Age - 28
Career Goals - 86
Career Assists - 54

FPL Potential Rating – 9/10 One of the best attacking threats from midfield in the Premier League over the last 3 years has moved to a bigger club. Although this is a good move for the player, FPL managers should be a little sceptical as the Icelandic hero won’t be the main focal point of the entire squad, like he was at Swansea. Despite this, Sigurdsson is still expected to score around the 150+ total FPL points range, which is a solid seasonal return. Averaging 2.5 shots and 2.1 key passes per game for the last 4 seasons, puts Sigurdsson among the top performer for these stats over the same period. Even if these numbers decline, Sigurdsson will be on set piece duty and remain around the 5-10 goals and 8-15 assist mark.

Wayne Rooney (Undisclosed)
Position - Striker
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Everton (77), Manchester United (559)
Age - 31
Career Goals - 270
Career Assists - 145
FPL Potential Rating – 9/10 The Manchester United Legend returns to the starting point of his career with Everton. FPL wise this has been a godsend for managers looking to get a proven striker that doesn’t eat up all their budget. Valued at £7.5, it is likely Rooney will play up front once again as a central striker to fill the role of Romelu Lukaku who went the other way in the transfer window to Manchester United. This position is where Rooney has experienced his most success, having scored 147 goals and provided 91 assists in 303 games at that position. That’s equates to an FPL goal or assist scoring return every 1.27 games, something that every manager wants.



Jordan Pickford (€28.5mill)
Position - Goalkeeper
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Burton Albion (13), Carlisle (18), Bradford (34), Preston (27), Sunderland (35)
Age - 23
Career Clean sheets - 50
FPL Potential Rating – 9/10 The surprise package of 2016/17 in goals for Sunderland has seen the young Englishman move to Everton on the back of some heroic performances. Although Sunderland still got relegated in seasons past, Pickford’s average 4.7 saves per game, with 2.4 of them coming from within the penalty area during the campaign was ridiculous for any level of goalkeeper. At an Everton side that possess quality defensive players and set-up, Pickford might not have to make as many saves to generate FPL points, but should improve on his 102 points from last season, possibly up to the 140+ mark.

Michael Keane (€28.5mill)
Position Centre Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Manchester United (5), Leicester (27), Derby (8), Blackburn (13), Burnley (108)
Age - 24
Career Goals - 13
Career Assists - 5
FPL Potential Rating – 7/10 The no nonsense defender, just made an already formidable defensive line better. Although Everton start the season with a horrible run of fixtures, FPL wise for defenders, if they pull through with a couple of clean sheets it will be a job well done with bonus points possibly going to Keane in those games. GW6 is where Keane could become an asset to managers, with fixtures against Bournemouth, Burnley, Brighton, Leicester, Watford and Palace with Arsenal sandwiched between them. This run could spell big FPL points for the new Everton man.  

Davy Klaassen (€27mill)
Position Attacking Mid
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Ajax (181)
Age - 24
Career Goals - 55
Career Assists - 39
FPL Potential Rating – 7/10 The classy attacking midfielder has the potential to explode in the Premier League. Bought as cover for the possible sale of Ross Barkley, Klaassen could actually displace the Englishman from his preferred position behind the strikers. A more consistent scorer than Barkley makes Klaassen highly valuable in FPL as Barkley is a proven point’s getter. With the Dutchman’s better career efficiency in front of goal, 55 goals (1.8 shots per game) and 39 assists in 181 games compared to Barkley’s career of 31 goals (2.4 shots per game) and 29 assists in 197 games. Both a £7.5 in FPL, should Klaassen get regular game time he could be a better acquisition than the ever reliable Barkley.



Henry Onyekuru (€8mill)
Position Left Wing
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Eupen (60)
Age - 20
Career Goals - 30
Career Assists - 11
FPL Potential Rating – 4/10

Sandro Ramirez (€6mill)
Position Centre Forward
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Barca B (61), Barcelona (32), Malaga (31)
Age - 22
Career Goals - 38
Career Assists - 13
FPL Potential Rating – 7/10 An exceptional pick-up by Ronald Koeman in the transfer window. Having played 93 games in the Barcelona set-up, the Spaniard will fit right into the Everton style of play. Having not been utilised by Barcelona correctly due to other big names, Sandro moved to Malaga where last season he banged in 14 goals in 30 appearances, with an average of 3.1 shots per game. At Everton Sandro can improve on these totals with great passing midfielders behind him such as Barkley, Klaassen, Schneiderlin and others. At £7.5 Sandro is the same price as Rooney in the same position. This may deter some FPL managers, but he can outshine the former Manchester United man, possibly taking top honours as the number 1 striker at Everton, leaving Rooney to be rotated in other positions.

Cuco Martina (Free)
Position Right Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) RBC Roosendaal (70), RKC Waalwijk (59), FC Twente (56), Southampton (36)
Age - 27
Career Goals - 5
Career Assists - 6
FPL Potential Rating – 5/10


Huddersfield

Steve Mounie (€13mill)
Position Centre Forward
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Montpellier (41), Nimes (33)
Age - 22
Career Goals - 26
Career Assists - 8
FPL Potential Rating – 6/10 26 goals in 74 games is quite a good record for a young forward, however a move to Huddersfield shouldn’t spark excitement for FPL managers as the newly promoted side aren’t the best at scoring goals or supplying goal scoring opportunities to their forwards. The holding onto of Aaron Mooy could allow Mounie to score some goals, but not enough to be a factor in FPL. The only thing beneficial about Mounie FPL wise is his price of £6.0, that allows managers to have a 3rd striker that plays consistently but stock up the first two strikers with Premiums.

Aaron Mooy (€9.1mill)
Position Centre Mid
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) St Mirren (30), Western Sydney Wanderers (54), Melbourne City (58), Manchester City (0), Huddersfield (51)
Age - 26
Career Goals - 35
Career Assists - 30
FPL Potential Rating – 7/10 Huddersfield's player of the year last season while on loan from Manchester City, gave the spark that elevated the terriers into the top flight. Mooy will have to be at this kind of best to be a factor in FPL this season. He does possess the ability to go to another level skill wise but needs his team-mates to help him out by slotting away goals for him to pick up assist points. A set-piece maestro could elevate his appeal as a 5th midfield option at £5.5.

Tom Ince (€9.1mill)
Position Right Wing
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Liverpool (1), Notts County (8), Blackpool (113), Hull (13), Derby (108), Crystal Palace (8), Nottingham Forest (6)
Age - 25
Career Goals - 72
Career Assists - 51
FPL Potential Rating – 8/10 The FPL dark horse, Tom Ince. Highly touted in the past to make big money moves to top tier clubs, we now see Ince in the Premier League will lowly Huddersfield. At a low £6.0 price, the pacey winger has the ability to set the FPL scoring charts alight. Guaranteed to be a shining light this season in games that Huddersfield are completely outplayed, Ince can provide decent FPL returns to managers that assess the oppositions he is up against. An adept dribbler, finisher and long shot taker, Ince could become this seasons Matt Phillips, which is something all FPL managers will crave.

Laurent Depoitre (€4mill)
Position Centre Forward
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Aalst (50), Oostende (76), Gent (91), Porto (13)
Age - 28
Career Goals - 77
Career Assists - 29
FPL Potential Rating – 5/10

Scott Malone (€3.9mill)
Position Left back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Southend United (17), Burton Albion (26), Bournemouth (37), Millwall (71), Cardiff (56), Fulham (42)
Age - 26
Career Goals - 24
Career Assists - 33
FPL Potential Rating – 5/10

Mathias Jorgensen (€2.7mill)
Position Centre Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) FC Copenhagen (129), PSV Eindhoven (24), FC Copenhagen (132)
Age - 27
Career Goals - 21
Career Assists - 7
FPL Potential Rating – 4/10

Elias Kachunga (€1.3mill)
Position Right Wing
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Borussia Monchengladbach (2), VFL Osnabruck (17), Hertha Berlin (3), SC Paderborn (57), FC Ingolstadt (10), Huddersfield (48)
Age - 25
Career Goals - 41
Career Assists - 21
FPL Potential Rating – 5/10


Leicester

Kelechi Iheanacho (€27.7mill)
Position Centre Forward
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Manchester City (64)
Age - 20
Career Goals - 21
Career Assists - 8

FPL Potential Rating – 7/10



Vincente Iborra (€15mill)
Position Defensive Mid
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Levante (188), Sevilla (361)
Age - 29
Career Goals - 43
Career Assists - 16
FPL Potential Rating – 6/10 Although Vincente Iborra is classified as a dreaded DM, he could still provide FPL managers with some joy. If he can forage forwards and replicate some of the attacking danger that he caused in the past season, where 7 goals and 2 assists were the reward, FPL managers should consider the £6.0 Spaniard as a handy differential.



Harry Maguire (€13.7mill)
Position Centre Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Sheffield United (166), Wigan (16), Hull (75)
Age - 24
Career Goals - 16
Career Assists - 16
FPL Potential Rating – 6/10 If the one time Premier League champions can find some defensive form, Maguire could become a vital part of the FPL landscape. However a large amount of responsibility will be put on the young English defender as previous defensive duo of Robert Huth and Wes Morgan are far past their best. Without another defensive signing though, Maguire could be a non-factor in FPL managers thoughts and team selections.

Eldin Jakupovic (Undisclosed)
Position - Goalkeeper
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Grasshopper (13), FC Thun (32), Lokomotiv (20), Grasshopper (59), Olympiakos Volou (39), Aris (1), Hull (56)
Age - 32
Career Clean Sheets - 85
FPL Potential Rating – 3/10

Aleksander Dragovic (Loan)
Position Centre Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Austria Wien (85), FC Basel (98), Dynamo Kyiv (111), Bayer Leverkusen (24)
Age - 26
Career Goals - 9
Career Assists - 7

FPL Potential Rating – 7/10

Liverpool

Mohamed Salah (€42mill)
Position Right Wing
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) El Mokawloon (44), FC Basel (79), Chelsea (19), Fiorentina (26), Roma (83)
Age - 25
Career Goals - 77
Career Assists - 55
FPL Potential Rating – 10/10 The dynamic Egyptian paceman could be a vital asset to all FPL managers this season. After a horror two year spell previously in the Premier League with Chelsea between 2013 and 2015, Salah has become one of the liveliest wingers in the world. His steady flow of goals (35) in his last three league seasons ranks him equal with Eden Hazard who also has 35 goals over the same period. For FPL managers avoiding Salah due to trust issues of the past, they should think again as not only does Salah score goals he is a great facilitator with an average of 2.3 key passes per game in season 2016/17. These stats only spell FPL points returns whatever way you look at it.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (€38mill)
Position Right Mid
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Southampton (43), Arsenal (198)
Age - 24
Career Goals - 30
Career Assists - 41
FPL Potential Rating – 6/10

Andrew Robertson (€9mill)
Position - Left Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Queens Park (43), Dundee United (44), Hull (115)
Age - 23
Career Goals - 12
Career Assists - 19
FPL Potential Rating – 5/10

Dominic Solanke (Free)
Position Centre Forward
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Chelsea (1), Vitesse (26)
Age - 19
Career Goals - 7
Career Assists - 1
FPL Potential Rating – 4/10


Manchester City

Kyle Walker (€51mill)
Position Right Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Sheffield United (35), Northampton (9), Queens Park Rangers (20), Aston Villa (18), Tottenham (228)
Age - 27
Career Goals - 6
Career Assists - 32
FPL Potential Rating – 9/10 Permanently within the top five points scorers for defenders in FPL, Waker switches to Manchester City from Tottenham on the back of some superb seasons. FPL wise, Walker exudes what managers are looking for in a defensive selection – attacking threat, defensive quality and bonus points. Amazingly Walker delivered 1.3 key passes, broke up attacks with 2.2 successful tackles and whipped in 2.9 crosses per game, while picking up 18 bonus in 2016/17. As a premium defender, he still justifies his price when selected.



Benjamin Mendy (€50mill)
Position Left Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Le Havre (64), Marseille (101), Monaco (39)
Age - 23
Career Goals - 4
Career Assists - 29
FPL Potential Rating – 7/10 To justify his £6.5 price in FPL, Mendy will have to produce at levels seen by his new team mate Kyle Walker. If not, Mendy will understandably become an FPL liability. The chances right now are 50/50 as the Frenchman only produced 5 assists in the Ligue 1 season in 2016/17. Some managers can only afford to have one premium defender, and with Mendy’s uncertainty, other options like, Marcos Alonso, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Antonio Valencia and even Leighton Baines look better options. 

Bernardo Silva (€50mill)
Position Right Wing
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Benfica (3), Monaco (147),
Age - 22
Career Goals - 28
Career Assists - 19
FPL Potential Rating – 6/10

Ederson (€40mill)
Position - Goalkeeper
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Ribeirao (30), Rio Ave (63), Benfica (55)
Age - 23
Career Clean sheets - 54
FPL Potential Rating – 7/10 If Manchester City can solve some defensive problems with recent signings, Ederson can become a top FPL keeping option. Fantastic shot-stopping and reflex abilities could produce saves and bonus points scoring potential. However the Brazilians discipline can sometimes get the best of him, having picked up 18 yellow and 2 red cards in his short 148 game career. This could deter FPL selection at the £5.5 price (equal highest in FPL).


Danilo (€30mill)
Position Right Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Santos (63), FC Porto (139), Real Madrid (55)
Age - 26
Career Goals - 25
Career Assists - 28
FPL Potential Rating – 5/10


Manchester United

Romelu Lukaku (€84.7mill)
Position - Striker
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Anderlecht (98), Chelsea (15), West Brom (38), Everton (133)
Age - 24
Career Goals - 145
Career Assists - 56
FPL Potential Rating – 10/10 The young Belgian will continue to grow and become even more dominant in the 2017/18 season. He is an absolute must in FPL with his steady stream of goals and assists. 10+ goals and 5+ assists for 5 consecutive seasons. With 25 goals last season from 3 shots per game, is an excellent ratio that can be further improved on. Lukaku’s pace and power has allowed him to have 1.7 successful take-ons per game and receive 33 bonus points in the last season (equal first with Kane Hazard and KDB). Lukaku was already fixture proof at Everton – What can he produce at Man Utd? An FPL captain pick every week could be a safe choice



Nemanja Matic (€44.7mill)
Position Defensive Mid
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Kosice (70), Chelsea (3), Vitesse (29), Benfica (99), Chelsea (151)
Age - 29
Career Goals - 22
Career Assists - 26
FPL Potential Rating – 4/10

Vitcor Lindelof (€35mill)
Position Centre Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Vasteras SK (41), Benfica (73)
Age - 23
Career Goals - 2
Career Assists - 1
FPL Potential Rating – 7/10 Untested in the Premier League, Lindelof could potential still be a very good FPL acquisition. Although he has been given a premium price, his exceptional defensive skills with 1.7 interceptions and 2.2 aerial duels won per game in 2016/17 justifies his price with Man Utd being one of the top clean sheet teams (16) in the Premier League in the last season. His partnership with Eric Bailly could prove to be a great points grabbing zone for FPL managers. 


Newcastle

Florian Lejeune (€10mill)
Position Centre Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Agde (3), Istres (44), Villarreal (5), Brest (26), Girona (81), Eibar (37)
Age - 26
Career Goals - 14
Career Assists - 2
FPL Potential Rating 4/10

Christian Atsu (€7.5mill)
Position Right Wing
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Rio Ave (30), FC Porto (29), Vitesse (30), Everton (13), Bournemouth (2), Malaga (12), Newcastle (35)
Age - 25
Career Goals - 19
Career Assists - 20
FPL Potential Rating – 5/10 Making a loan move permanent at Newcastle, Atsu could be an FPL asset at the 4th and 5th midfield option. Having played 32 games in the championship last season, producing 5 goals and 3 assists is a decent return for a wing man. However, in previous Premier League stints with Everton and Bournemouth, Atsu hasn’t produced much attacking threat and quickly became a perennial bench warmer. This could happen again unless injuries to other key players occurs.

Javier Manquillo (€5mill)
Position Right Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Atletico Madrid (17), Liverpool (19), Marseille (43), Sunderland (22)
Age - 23
Career Goals - 1
Career Assists - 6
FPL Potential Rating – 4/10

Jacob Murphy (Undisclosed)
Position Right Wing
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Norwich (42), Swindon Town (7), Southend United (8), Blackpool (9), Scunthorpe United (3), Colchester (11), Coventry City (42)
Age - 22
Career Goals - 26
Career Assists - 25
FPL Potential Rating – 4/10


Southampton

Mario Lemina (€17mill)
Position Defensive Mid
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Lorient (18), Marseille (50), Juventus (42)
Age - 24
Career Goals - 5
Career Assists - 1

FPL Potential Rating – 5/10



Jan Bednarek (€6mill)
Position Centre Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Lech Poznan (40), Gornik Leczna (18)
Age - 21
Career Goals - 1
Career Assists - 1
FPL Potential Rating – 3/10


Stoke

Kevin Wimmer (€19.5mill)
Position Centre Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) FC Koln (73), Tottenham (31)
Age - 24
Career Goals - 6
Career Assists - 5

FPL Potential Rating – 7/10 With Wimmer moving to an already good defensive Stoke side could be good for FPL managers. Stoke could prosper in defensive points returns with a host of solid defensive options. Rotation is the only factor that might deter managers, which could spell a decent amount of sideline stints for the Austrian. If injury strikes to other players Wimmer could be thrust into a nailed on spot. Currently sitting at a £4.4 value he is one of the cheapest options.


Darren Fletcher (Free)
Position Centre Mid
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Manchester United (342), West Brom (97)
Age - 33
Career Goals - 30
Career Assists - 33
FPL Potential Rating – 5/10

Josh Tymon (Free)
Position Left Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Hull (14),
Age - 19
Career Goals - 1
Career Assists - 0
FPL Potential Rating – 3/10

Kurt Zouma (Loan)
Position Centre Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Saint Etienne (73), Chelsea (71)
Age - 22
Career Goals - 10
Career Assists - 5
FPL Potential Rating – 6/10 Zouma is a fantastic option in FPL this season. Although priced at £5.5, he can steady the Stoke City defence and earn many valuable clean sheet points as a differential pick. Limited game time in the last season, it was 2015/16 where Zouma showed his abilities and skills with 1.3 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 5.3 clearances per game in the league with an additional 1.2 tackles and 2.2 interceptions per game in the Champions league in the same season. Zouma is capable of this form consistently, and if he does find it, he could collect a lot of bonus points in Stoke victories.

Jesè (Loan)
Position Left Wing
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Real Madrid Castilla (80), Real Madrid (94), PSG (14), Las Palmas (16)
Age - 24
Career Goals - 55
Career Assists - 29

FPL Potential Rating – 7/10 With the loss of dominant left sided player Marko Arnautovic, Jesè is well positioned to be a nailed on starter. During last season’s campaign with Spanish side Las Palmas, Jesè showed his creative and scoring value with 3 goals in 16 appearances at a shot every 42.8 minutes along with having 2.1 successful take-ons per game. Classified as a midfielder in FPL, Jesè could be pushed higher up the field – meaning better chances for managers to cash in on returns. 

Swansea

Wilfried Bony (€13mill)
Position Striker
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Sparta Prague (75), Vitesse (73), Swansea (70), Manchester City (46), Stoke (11)
Age - 28
Career Goals - 139
Career Assists - 39

FPL Potential Rating – 6/10

Roque Mesa (€12mill)
Position Centre Mid
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Huracan (14), Las Palmas (136)
Age - 28
Career Goals - 10
Career Assists - 9
FPL Potential Rating – 5/10

Renato Sanches (Loan)
Position Centre Mid
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Benfica (35), Bayern Munich (26)
Age - 20
Career Goals - 2
Career Assists - 1

FPL Potential Rating – 7/10 With the possibility of Swansea becoming built around the young central midfielder, Sanches can thrive in the Premier League with his powerful attacking surges and great defensive work rate. Although the young Portuguese international hasn’t produced massive returns in the goals and assists department over his short career, he could create a top tier partnership with returning hero Wilfried Bony. Only £5.0 means almost every FPL manager could fit the 90 minute player in.

Tammy Abraham (Loan)
Position - Striker
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Chelsea (2), Bristol (48),
Age - 19
Career Goals - 26
Career Assists - 4
FPL Potential Rating – 4/10


Tottenham

Serge Aurier (€25mill)
Position Right Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Lens (52), Toulouse (80), PSG (81)
Age - 24
Career Goals - 13
Career Assists - 27

FPL Potential Rating – 9/10 The only issue with Aurier from being rated at a 10 for FPL is the fact that Kieran Trippier is in the same position. With Spurs securing the most clean-sheets in the 2016/17 campaign, the addition of Aurier to replace the departed Walker re-secures the defence for another season. This is good news for FPL managers as the Ivory Coast native consistently has gotten 3+ assists per season for an extended period of time. With clean-sheet points and attacking threat – Aurier is one of the best possible defensive assets. 

Fernando Llorente (€15mill)
Position Striker
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Athletic Bilbao (333), Juventus (92), Sevilla (36), Swansea (35)
Age - 32
Career Goals - 167
Career Assists - 52

FPL Potential Rating – 5/10

Watford

Richarlison (€12.4mill)
Position Left Wing
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Fluminense (67)
Age - 20
Career Goals - 19
Career Assists - 5

FPL Potential Rating – 5/10


Tom Cleverly (€9.3mill)
Position Centre Mid
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Manchester United (79), Leicester (15), Watford (35), Wigan (25), Aston Villa (37), Everton (42), Watford (17)
Age - 27
Career Goals - 27
Career Assists - 25
FPL Potential Rating – 6/10 The former Manchester United midfielder can become a decent FPL rotation option to possess in the upcoming campaign. At £5.0, the Englishman should see enough game time to warrant a selection. In his best season to date in the Premier league in 2015/16 at Everton, Cleverley registered 2 goals and 5 assists while receiving 11 bonus points. These are noteworthy numbers for an FPL player that will be considered as a 5th mid. Hovering around an average of 1 shot per game throughout his career, Cleverley is more of a facilitator to team-mates with an 80-90% pass accuracy, around 40 touches and 1 goal scoring chance produced per game. A possible FPL Dark horse!



Will Hughes (€9.1mill)
Position Centre Mid
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Derby (187)
Age - 22
Career Goals - 12
Career Assists - 18
FPL Potential Rating – 5/10

Nathaniel Chalobah (€5.7mill)
Position Defensive Mid
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Watford (42), Nottingham Forest (12), Middlesbrough (19), Burnley (4), Reading (20), Napoli (9), Chelsea (15)
Age - 22
Career Goals - 10
Career Assists - 3
FPL Potential Rating – 5/10 Yet to produce the goods in the English top flight, Chalobah has finally made a permanent move to a club after a string of loan spells away from Chelsea. His previous stint with Watford in the Championship in 2012/13 proved to be his best season, where he made 42 appearances and scored 5 goals from a central midfield role as an 18 year old. Back at the club, with some more experience and maturity, Chalobah could again be a factor for the side. At an extremely cheap £4.5, FPL managers will be salivating that the Sierra Leone turned English national can produce some quality in a competitive Watford midfield. If so, he could be the steal of the season that allows managers to stack their team with other big hitting premiums.

Orestis Karnezis (Undisclosed)
Position Goalkeeper
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Panathinaikos (70), Granada (8), Udinese (110)
Age - 32
Career Clean sheets - 59

FPL Potential Rating – 6/10

Kiko Femenia (Free)
Position Right Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Hercules (77), Barcelona B (62), Real Madrid Castilla (5), Alcorcon (17), Alaves (77)
Age - 26
Career Goals - 15
Career Assists - 13
FPL Potential Rating – 5/10


West Brom

Jay Rodriguez (€13.7mill)
Position - Striker
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Burnley (128), Stirling Albion (12), Barnsley (6), Southampton (126)
Age - 28
Career Goals - 80
Career Assists - 27
FPL Potential Rating – 8/10 An underrated player for most of his career, Rodriguez can be a breath of fresh air this FPL season as he provides a differentiation to the typical and expected forward line-ups of many squads. As one of the cheapest (£6.0) starting forwards, Rodriguez has been highly under-priced and could play and score points like an £8.0-£10.0 striker as seen in the past, where he scored 15 goals and provided 3 assist in 2013/14 EPL season. Additionally, with limited game time last season, he still managed to get 5 goals and 2 assists from just 885 minutes (9 starts/15 bench appearances) of play – equating to a goal involvement every 126mins. Those in FPL looking for two biggies up front and cheap 3rd forward – look no further than Jay Rodriguez!


Kieran Gibbs (€7.5mill)
Position Left Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Norwich (7), Arsenal (230)
Age - 27
Career Goals - 6
Career Assists - 25

FPL Potential Rating – 6/10

Grzegorz Krychowiak (Loan)
Position Defensive Mid
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Bordeaux (2), Reims (59), Nantes (22), Reims (72), Sevilla (89), PSG (19)
Age - 27
Career Goals - 15
Career Assists - 9
FPL Potential Rating – 4/10

Ahmed Hegazi (Loan)
Position Centre Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Ismaily (36), Fiorentina (4), Perugia Calcio (10), Al Ahly (60)
Age - 26
Career Goals - 3
Career Assists - 3
FPL Potential Rating – 6/10 Playing predominantly in the Egyptian Premier League (96 of 110 career games), Heagzi could struggle to adapt to the power and pace of the EPL. However, FPL managers could see some joy from the Egyptian should either of the two nailed on starting central defenders (McAuley and Dawson) get injured during the season, leaving Hegazi to step in. West Brom are notorious for grinding games out, having only scored 43 goals while conceding 51 last season to finish a comfortable 10th. From these 43 goals, 20 came from set pieces. This could play into the hands on the 6 foot 4 defender should he play. A handy pick-up as a 5th defender option at £4.5.


West Ham

Marko Arnautovic (€27.9mill)
Position Left Mid
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) FC Twente (59), Inter Milan (3), Werder Bremen (83), Stoke (145)
Age - 28
Career Goals - 54
Career Assists - 55
FPL Potential Rating – 8/10 Amongst the goals most seasons, expect the same in the season ahead. Having recruited well all over, West Ham are building quite a formidable side. Arnautovic can thrive in both the goals and assists domain down the left flank, either banging in the goals through surging runs or whipping crosses to both Andy Carroll and Javier Hernandez, who are both proficient in the air. A stat sheet stuffer last season with 1.9 shots, 1.6 key passes and 1.9 successful dribbles per game along with 6 goals and 7 assists in a below par Stoke side last season could mean that these numbers should only rise at West ham. At £7.0 and fixtures against Newcastle, Huddersfield, West Brom and Swansea in the opening 7 weeks, why not select him in FPL?



Javier Hernandez (€17.8mill)
Position - Striker
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Guadalajara (80), Manchester United (59), Real Madrid (33), Bayer Leverkusen (76)
Age - 29
Career Goals - 136
Career Assists - 49
FPL Potential Rating – 8/10 A no-brainer of a pick in FPL! A premium player at a fraction of the price (£7.0). After a decent stint with Manchester United where the Mexican hit double figure goals returns in three consecutive seasons (10/11, 11/12 and 12/13), a string of time on the bench saw him leave the league. This sparked new life into Hernandez, seeing him score 39 goals in a 76 game spell with German side Leverkusen, where 2.2 shots on target (1.6 inside the box) per game were staple to him. FPL managers could relish in the returns that Hernandez is capable of this season as a third forward option. Kane, Lukaku, Hernandez has a nice sound to it!

Pablo Zabaleta (Free)
Position Right Back
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) San Lorenzo (79), Espanyol (102), Manchester City (332)
Age - 32
Career Goals - 22
Career Assists - 29
FPL Potential Rating – 7/10

Joe Hart (Loan)
Position Goalkeeper
Previous Clubs/ (Appearances) Shrewsbury Town (58), Tranmere Rovers (6), Blackpool (5), Birmingham (41), Manchester City (348), Torino (37)
Age - 30
Career Clean sheets - 170
FPL Potential Rating – 8/10 Hart is a shot-stopping keeper made for the Premier League. FPL managers should monitor West Ham fixtures closely, as big defensive points returns could be on offer, with such a strong looking backline and keeper combination. In the 10 seasons where Hart has played more than 1500 minutes of action he has only scored below 100 total FPL points once and broken the 150 point barrier 3 times – which is very good for a goalkeeper (no keeper last season managed that feat). The Englishman has also had 6 consecutive EPL seasons with 13+ total clean sheets (2010/11-2015/16). That is the kind of safety between the sticks that most teams look for and crave… Along with FPL managers.


By Luke Scali – Twitter @WFC_LS_Potzi

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