The Fantasy Premier League season always brings exhilarating highs and crushing lows for team managers, with every point scored reflecting the performance of football’s top talents. This season, the biggest scores have been racked up by Liverpool players, with the Reds romping to the title for the second time in five years.
Heading into the campaign, the Merseysiders were considered an afterthought in the title race, especially following the departure of iconic manager Jurgen Klopp. However, his replacement, Arne Slot, managed to hit the ground running, even though an injured Federico Chiesa was his only signing. With the talismanic Mohamed Salah leading the way, Liverpool has amassed a mighty 25 wins so far this term, and that number could increase to 27 should the newly minted champions win their two remaining games.
Salah will remain at Anfield next term after recently penning a new contract. His old deal was set to expire on June 30th, and many thought the Egyptian would leave the club. However, he – and captain Virgil van Dijk – have both signed new deals to remain at the club. But while those two FPL superstars will stay in the famous red shirt next season, these three could be donning different colours next term.
Kevin De Bruyne
No midfield maestro has dominated the FPL universe quite like Kevin De Bruyne. Over the last decade, the Belgian magician has been the heartbeat of the Manchester City dynasty, notching up consistent double-digit assists, scoring important goals, and leading the Blues to six Premier League titles. One title that he won’t be leading Etihad outfit to, however, is this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup.
Online betting websites have made City a contender to win the marquee tournament in America this summer. The popular Bovada website has them priced as a joint 7/2 frontrunner to leave MetLife Stadium on July 13th with a shiny new trophy in tow, but their talismanic captain KDB won’t be the one that lifts it.
That’s because after a decade in Manchester, De Bruyne will leave the Blues on June 30th when his contract expires. Despite there being no end of potential suitors, it has been rumoured in recent weeks that he could make a shock move to champions Liverpool. Despite entering the twilight years of his career, the Belgian could certainly still do a job at Anfield, feeding the likes of Salah, Cody Gakpo, and Luis Diaz with opportunity after opportunity.
If Liverpool pull this off, they’ll be adding arguably the most decisive passer in Premier League history to their ranks. His FPL managers will relish the potential connection he could forge with an already lethal front three, and he could well remain a steady hand for picking up fantasy points for a couple more years.
Alexander Isak
Alexander Isak has been an absolute gem for Newcastle since joining the club from Real Sociedad three years ago, racking up impressive FPL hauls in back-to-back campaigns. Plenty of eyebrows were raised when the Magpies forked out £75m to secure his services, but 62 goals in just over 100 appearances tell you that that was money well spent.
This season, the Swedish striker has had his most prolific season yet. He has fired home 27 goals so far this term, helping Newcastle secure their first major trophy in 70 years with the League Cup triumph against Liverpool at Wembley. His exploits have taken the Tyneside team to the brink of a UEFA Champions League return, but rumours continue to swirl that his time at St. James’ Park could well be coming to an end.
It appears that Isak isn’t just the darling of FPL managers; he’s also caught the eye of top clubs across the Premier League, with both Arsenal and Liverpool reportedly keen on securing his talents. With the latter of that duo set to ship Darwin Nunez out of the club and the former in dire need of a goalscorer, both seem like viable options. Even so, Newcastle have slapped an enormous valuation on their hitman, reportedly nearing £150 million, in a bid to ward off potential suitors.
Though Newcastle are poised to secure Champions League football, Isak’s potential move could reshape both his FPL value and the ambitions of his next club. Should Arsenal’s youthful yet dynamic squad bag him, or Liverpool decide to invest big, Isak could become the centrepiece of a title-challenging team. He has been the main man in many an FPL team this term, and he will continue to do the same next season as well, but will that be in the North-East, North-West, or the Capital?
Ollie Watkins
Another striker who Arsenal have been interested in for some time now is Ollie Watkins. Aston Villa have been blessed with the England international’s goal contributions since his £28m arrival from Brentford five years ago. This season, his dynamism earned him several FPL team-of-the-week appearances, and also allowed the Villans to cash in big on former striker Jhon Duran.
He headed off to Saudi Arabia for an eye-watering fee in January, leaving Watkins as Villa’s main man. However, the former Exeter man could also be on his way this summer to their Premier League rivals from North London.
Arsenal have been circling Watkins for the better part of 18 months now, seeing him as a potential upgrade or alternative to their current attacking lineup of Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz. Mikel Arteta is desperate for a proven goalscorer who will remain fit for a full season. A move to The Gunners could elevate his FPL output for fantasy managers, as well as propel Arteta’s side to a first league title since 2004.
