New Fantasy Premier League Transfers 2019/20 – Wan-Bissaka, Ayoze Perez and Ndombele
It’s been a relatively quiet summer here at FF247, tempered somewhat in recent weeks by the unexpected early release of the FPL game. As the site starts to awaken from its slumber with a slew of not too dissimilar RMT’s (we can all sink or swim together yeah?) its time for us to start looking at new signings. First up we have two players you’ll be familiar with who have now moved on to pastures new, and finally a look at a shiny new player, who whilst he may not be considered as an FPL asset (just yet), his recruitment may pay dividends for his team-mates in both the real world and the FPL one. So which, if any, should be in your GW1 squad and who should we keep at arms length? Read on for my two penn’orth!
Wan-Bissaka
Manchester United
FPL price: 5.5mln
AWB (you know I love a good abbreviation) was GW1 gold last season; a £4.0m starting defender who lived up to the hype. Starting 35 of Palace’s 38 games, AWB racked up 120pts over the season. When Palace kept a clean-sheet (which they did 12 times) AWB was on the pitch, and whilst he may have lacked attacking returns (3 assists 0 goals), he was partial to a bonus point or three. Indeed, no defender priced sub £6.0m accrued as many as AWB’s 18bps over the season.
A price rise was inevitable this season of course, although given that for £5.5m you could snap up his more attack-minded teammate PVA (3 goals, 2 assists and 140pts), he seemed a little over-priced. Within days of the game’s launch, however, he was off to Man Utd, a whopping £50m changing hands.
So, does that make his £5.5m price tag any more palatable? Ordinarily, a move to a top-six side and it would be a resounding yes to that question, but there was nothing ‘top six’ about Manchester United’s defence in 2018/19. Whilst AWB picked up points in all of Palace’s 12 clean sheets, over at ‘United’ they managed just 7, with just a solitary clean-sheet in their final 11 matches of the season. Grim.
Whether or not AWB becomes a solid option in FPL once more this season, may largely be influenced by Manchester United’s recruitment plans between now and the close of the transfer window. Leicester’s Harry Maguire is next on manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s hit-list with a reported £80m price tag being bandied about. There is no denying that ‘Blockhead’ will represent a marked improvement on ‘United’ stalwarts Jones and Smalling but will it be enough to see an upturn in their clean-sheet prospects?
Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s recent reassurance to fellow right-back Diogo Dalot that he has a bright future at Manchester United should not be ignored, however you have to presume that any team that pays £50m for a player surely intends to play them more often than not.
AWB is currently the third-highest owned defender in the game (32.3%), we’ll likely see regression on this figure come GW1, but he’ll likely still be highly owned and a favourite amongst casuals, those with a penchant for nostalgia and all those ‘United’ fans we’re always hearing about.
It seems this year is once again being touted as the year of the full-back, with many FPL managers considering four or even five at the back. However, with plenty of better options at just £0.5m more and mixed fixtures that don’t look all that promising until GW10 I’m not sure I’d recommend a ‘United’ defender… just yet.
Should AWB be part of your FPL side? Whilst there is no denying his ability, it’s the defence as a whole that needs to massively improve to make me look to ‘United’s’ defensive assets. It’s a wait and see for me.
Ayoze Perez
Leicester
FPL price: 6.5mln
Ayoze Pérez is a player I know all about, having watched him plié his trade at St James Park over the last 4 seasons. He has been at times been frustrating, occasionally brilliant and overall we’ll be a worse side for his loss. Screw you fat man.
The departure of Rafa Benítez from Newcastle at the start of July was swiftly followed just days later by compatriot Pérez as he sealed a £30m move to Leicester City. Manager Brendan Rogers was quoted as saying ‘‘I think Ayoze will be a wonderful addition to the squad. He’s quick, has a good eye for goal and he’s experienced in the Premier League too. I think he’s a player who will excite our supporters, and his style is one that I believe complements the options and quality that we already have here at the football club.” I can’t argue with any of that.
Pérez is one of the handful of players reclassified in FPL this summer. Where often players are moved to a position that is to the detriment of their FPL output, Pérez’s move from a forward to midfielder only adds to his appeal. Had Pérez been classified as a midfielder in the 2018/19 season he’d have finished on 164pts and 8th in the list of top-scoring midfielders in FPL.
Last season Pérez flourished when moved out to a wider position, he benefitted from playing off Salomon Rondon’s physical hold-up play, with Rondon assisting half of Pérez’s 12 goals. Should he operate in a similar position for the Foxes, he will have to adapt his game as Jamie Vardy is a very different player to Saloman Rondon. Before you all start whacking him in your GW1 draft, a note of caution, Pérez historically starts the season badly. Last season he scored just 2 of his 12 goals in game-weeks 1 to 19, the season before he scored just a solitary goal in the same period.
With similarly priced teammates Youri Tielemans (£6.5m) and James Maddison (£7.0) also vying for our attention, it’ll be interesting to see who the masses favour. Maddison is currently the highest owned of the three (16.1%) with Pérez not far behind (12.1%), a few more goals in pre-season could see that figure increase dramatically.
Should Pérez be a serious contender for your GW1 squad? At £6.5m Pérez was already an intriguing option in FPL. His positional reclassification, a move to a more attack-minded side and no longer relying on the support of the rag-tag group of bargain-basement picks and the occasional loan signing only adds to his appeal. If he can avoid his usual early season jitters then it’s a brown thumbs up from me!
Ndombele
Spurs
FPL price: 6.0mln
Winger Jack Clarke may have been Spurs first senior signing in over a year (they then immediately loaned him back to Leeds) but it was club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele (£53.8m rising to £62.8m with incentives) from Lyon that has captured the headlines and the imagination of the Lillywhite faithful.
Like me, you may not have heard of Ndombele prior to his move to North London, no surprise given that as recently as 2016 he was playing in the fifth tier of French football with Amiens’ reserve team. After graduating to the first team, his performances caught the eye of Lyon who took him on loan at the start of the 2017/18 season and then exercised an option to buy him (€8 million) after impressing in his debut season in the top-flight.
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas compared Ndombele to former Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien; powerful with the technical ability to be effective in both attack and defence in the mould of a traditional box-to-box midfielder. In 2018/19 he played 34 league matches for Lyon, scoring once and picking up 7 assists, decent but hardly prolific. The consensus is that if he can improve his finishing he could make the transition from a very good to a great player.
Ndombele is expected to take on the spot formerly occupied by the now-departed Mousa Dembélé, with many saying he’s an almost like-for-like replacement. Whilst Mauricio Pochettino’s men may have made the Champions League final last season, they finished their league campaign 15pts worse off than their record 86pts recorded in the 2016/17 campaign. It was during that season that Mousa Dembélé was in imperious form, at one stage he went 6 months without being dispossessed in the Premier League. Crikey.
Whilst few will have memories of owning Dembélé in FPL that year, its no suprise that this period coincided with record FPL points tallies for his three more attack-minded teammates; Harry Kane(224pts), Dele Alli(225pts) and Christian Eriksen(218pts).
At just 22 there is every chance that Ndombele will only get better, if he can add goals to his repertoire then his £6.0m FPL price-tag will seem like a comparative bargain, it’s a wait and see on that front. However, if he can fill the Dembélé roll as is hoped, then we could see the likes of Kane, Son, Dele and Eriksen (if he stays) reap the rewards for both Spurs and our FPL teams.
Thanks for reading New Fantasy Premier League Transfers 2019/20 – Wan-Bissaka, Ayoze Perez and Ndombele. This article was written by Rosco
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Hope you are all having a lovely Saturday!
My team with some question… Ryan – Guaita or Ederson – Button?
Fraser or Zaha?
Any other suggestions…
Cheers guys
Team
Personally, Ederson-Button, because I’m not really wanting to spend every week stressing over who to rotate and then getting annoyed with myself when I get it wrong. I wouldn’t go for Button, given his high ownership he has the potential to go to 3.9 pretty quickly.
Fraser.
Thanks GB. If I get Ederson – 4.00GK then I can only afford Zaha.
My thinking…Looking back to last year Guaita/Ryan got more points than just Ederson, plus they rotate incredibly well for the first 7 GWs. Fraser should do well with all their upcoming fixtures (other than GW3)
How is your team coming along?
Cheers Bees. Sounds like a nice bit of pre-WC GK rotation, I’ll have to have a think about it myself. I guess the rotate or set and forget decision is based on people’s previous experiences of the two strategies.
My current team is a non-Salah 442 with Ederson, the three Pool and Digne at the back, Sterling Brooks Richarlison and Pérez gracing my midfield, with Kane and King up top. Total dross on the bench. It will surely change many times before the deadline.
I’d try to start with Salah, Ben. You could have a lot of catching up to do if he starts strongly – combination of high ownership and captaincy.
Kralin I don’t doubt that you’re entirely correct.
Hi Bees,
I’m having a fantastic Saturday thank you, I hope it’s the same for you.
From my experience I prefer a pick and stick GK. I personally prefer a budget GK for save points and the occasional big haul. Then invest the spare cash out field where it’s more appreciated.
Rotating GK’s is great as a mathematical theory, but it’s broken my heart more times than it’s worth!
Thanks! Which budget GK would you suggest with good save statistics…Fabianski?
Cool name btw.
Fabianski historically has solid save stats, but I’m personally going with Ryan. I like the look of Brighton’s early fixture’s and he’s the best 4.5gk (untill a promoted GK proves his worth).
Thank you haha, the name was randomly assigned to me on the Xbox roughly 10 years ago and I’ve went with it since. Putting my name as ‘Stephen’ isn’t exactly as memorable!
Don’t blow the myth wide open! I actually preferred the loose traveller image, Jack Reacher style of existence. Albeit in the form of a hippo. Which I must admit I spend the first 2 years reading as ‘hippy’!
I will contemplate that…thanks. My biggie this year is trying to not take hits. All the best!
No secrets between mates here!
TheEastboundTravellingHippy, sounds like a novel about someone who goes to Thailand to ‘find themselves’. It could be a sign. I may start writing. This could be the ticket out of my 9-5.
I’ll catch you guys next summer, I’m about to make a million.
…or sounds like someone still stuck in the 1970s, lost in the past, bald-spot encroaching, trapped in a meaningless job, sat on the tube heading towards Newbury Park.
Before you do there’s always a spot on our writing team for anyone with a bit of flair and imagination. Can’t promise you a million and it’s a one way street but if you ever fancy it drop us a line.
On which note, Kralin check your secret message thing (email), I have rota queries pending.
Inittowinit – will do – incidentally congratulations if you won the cricket fantasy league, blimey.
Also – I can’t see my comments in the ‘latest comments’ on the right hand side – can see them here, where they’re placed – but not there. Maybe it will have righted itself tomorrow. Hard to keep up though.
Cheers Kralin, got it.
And yeah, we know about that one. Keeps breaking at the moment because of some other stuff we did, it’s all cool, we’ll fix it back up soon.
Probably worth ‘reposting’ the below just so everyone knows that we’re tinkering a bit and some stuff will not work occasionally at the moment.
Sounds good to me init, I’m full of opinions and I do enjoy a ramble. Tis’ all the better if someone gets a giggle out of it or even finds it somewhat helpful. Give me a shout if there’s anything you’d like me to contribute towards!
Thank you, I.
Hippy Hippo / Stephen;
Tends to start with a ‘guest post’ and we take it from there.
Drop us an email on some GW’s you can do for say September/ October and we can go from there?
Capos is the starting point usually, given as it’s the easiest in terms of time / research and therefore allows time to concentrate on the delivery a bit more.
contact@fantasyfootball247.co.uk
I’m doing the rotas as we speak.
Terrific, sounds good to me.
I’ll drop you an email now!
Nice one, thank you.
For what it’s worth, I was speaking to a CHE fan and he does indeed believe that Kante will play deeper this year, as one of the two in a 4-2-3-1 for most games.
I’m a Chelsea fan myself and I completely agree. What went on last year was madness, Kante is one of the best (if not the best) CDM in the modern game. He’d slot in deep in nearly every large team in Europe. Frank will play him in that role
When does the squad have to be fixed by the manager/club? so the FPL can put the players into the FPL?
Why would he play so deep, I have been seeing that he will be more towards the middle and Jorginho further up-front a bit, more what he was doing before he joined Chelsea.
Not sure what you mean by the first question but the answer to the second probably lies within this article and in particular the infographic within it;
https://www.givemesport.com/1454215-the-impact-that-ngolo-kantes-new-position-has-had-on-him-statistically?amp
Interesting read!
Where does that leave Jorginho though, playing further forward?
It’s still very much in the balance, but my guess is that he’ll play in the other holding role beside Kante, with Barkley/RLC/Kovacic playing as an attacking midfielder.
Yeah I agree it’s looking like it will be a 4-2-3-1 formation. Which I’m guessing will look like this
Kepa
Azpilicueta, Zouma, Luiz, Alonso
Kante, Jorginho
CHO (once fit) Could be anyone (Willian), Pulisic
Giroud
Place behind Giroud is up for grabs with Mount, Willian, Pedro, Barkley all fighting for places. My guess is Willian
RLC is out for a while still which is why I’ve not included him
I keep completely forgetting about Mount. I do have a niggling feeling that he’ll be a bandwagon this year, considering he’s Lampard’s protégé and all!
How much will Mount costs?
6.5 or under I’d imagine, RLC is 6.5, but I think the likes of CHO and Barkley are in at 6m (if my memory serves me correctly), praying for cheaper though! If he was 5.5 I wouldn’t even mind having him as a rotation risk
I’m hoping for £5m
Evening all.
Just got rid of Sterling for KDB and hoping he’ll stay fit – if he does he’ll score similar to Sterling I believe.
Really helps the rest of my team to boot.
Thoughts on this team?
Looks solid.
KdB is a bit of a dilemma.
Certainly is.
Excluding last season
KDB scored 209 and 199
Sterling scored 229 and 149.
If KDB goes injury free then I guess their totals will be similar … which begs the question of do you get both?
I did have KdB in my very first team but took him out, I have seen a couple of teams with both, he is usually at the expense of Salah though.
I think this opinion will divide this site, but Salah should be classed as a FWD and not as a MID.
A personal feeling with Sterling / KdB is that I feel happier starting with Sterling and then swapping with KdB (perhaps) if it looks like the latter is back to his usual self – rather than scrambling round in a panic trying to do it the other way, ripping up my squad in the process. And based on the most recent information*, Sterling is the one to get. I do hope, however, that KdB does start bringing home the bacon as it would be fantastically helpful (and enable other nice things).
*last season’s data.
Good evening MH,
I hope you’re well pal.
It looks very well balanced, my worry is surrounding Sterling, especially considering his high ownership (which will probably rise further) and how difficult it would be to transfer him in if he hits the ground in GW1.
I’m not too sure on the Pope choice either with Heaton still at the club.
I do like the Murray choice for the bench, it gives you the option of rotation, plus a sub if Perez isn’t in the GW1 plan.
Cheers mate.
If he does hit the ground running I need to hope KDB does too and the people that have Sterling probably won’t own KDB.
Or I could get both but that means a lot of downgrading elsewhere.
It’s a headache.
Pope seems first choice as it looks like Heaton is being pushed out
1st draft done. Current thinking is:
– 5 at the back is the way I will start the season. Much prefer picking a Laporte/Digne over a larger unknown like Perez/Jota. If a new Frazer/Jiminez emerges, this will change.
– Sterling pips Salah because VVD >> Walker/Azpi.
– Double City attack is necessary. Sterling could become Bernardo, if I fancy upgrading King to Vardy/Kane.
– Pretty clueless on the keeper situation atm. Pope/Ryan have decent fixtures but they’ll both be scrapping at the bottom of the table. Leno interests me.
Is the fact that King hasn’t been in the last 2 friendlies anything to be concerned by?
Still got a few weeks to go but could be a problem.
Had no idea that was the case. Will have to look into it.
Hi Bean, how are things?
I like it as it’s something different.
But the old cliché of ‘eggs in one basket’ comes to mind. I.e. if Liverpool win 5-1 you could receive minimal attacking spoils and end up with 6 points from 20.5m worth of players. It’s bold and I hope it pays dividends, but the cash/risk ratio is too unfavorable in my eyes.
But if Liverpool draw 0-0 I’m laughing? And if they beat Watford 5-0 again, I’ll die and go to heaven.
I understand the issue with it, but if they’re as defensively dominant as last year, that’s 50% of weeks where I’ll be very happy, and I’d expect them all to be at least 30 points clear of the defensive pack – Laporte, Digne, Azpi etc…
Going without Salah seems insanely risky to me.
Agree with the hippo re the triple Liverpool defence, just takes an 89th minute doze to ruin your weekend.
+1
It’s risky if he hits 300 again, but if he looks on course for that, I’ll bring him in.
Last year he outscored Sterling by 20, so as perma captain that’s +40. VVD outscored most defenders by 40, so there’s no net difference in those choices.
I think him and Sterling will be similar, and I prefer the attacking prospects of Liverpool over City at the moment.
I prefer the attacking prospects of Liverpool over City at the moment. – That doesn’t seem evident from the side you’ve posted above.
Morning all
Has anyone got any news on King and why he hasn’t played in the friendlies?
Pretty much need him to be an option!
Wondering the same, otherwise Gerry D becomes an option or gathering 1.5 million to get Wilson
think he played a part in the first friendly game. many teams play reserves and fringes in the first few friendlies, so not much can be made from it at the moment. it will be the last couple of friendlies that we need to keep an eye on. but right now, fraser and wilson are justifying why they are more expensive than king!
It’s kind of tempting to just forget the fixtures and go Jota. I’m not sure if Bournemouth’s opening two will be goal fests to start as newly promoted sides tend to start ok
At the moment its either Ryan and Wilson or Ederson and a 6.5 forward for me.
But that can change completely bye kick off gw1
Yeah Wilson is the guy to have at Bournemouth if they fire. 8 million is just a lot of money if they don’t that’s the risk I guess. Though I’d always prefer a 4.5 keeper
Update on King
Anyone considering AWB?
Yesterday was very offensive and also strong in defence. Will get the BPS even without cleansheets of MU.
Possibly but I think the strong fixtures of Everton, City and Liverpool keep him out in the cold for now. Plus I think it may be wise to have a look at MU (and quite a few other sides) before plunging in.