Darwin Nunez’s (£7.5m) prolific pre-season form is catching the attention of managers in Fantasy Premier League.
See: FPL Pod: I'm locked in on Darwin Nunez
The Uruguayan has scored in all three of Liverpool’s friendlies, claiming his fourth goal of the summer in a 4-0 win over Leicester City.
Nunez's goal v Leicester
Darwin opening up the scoring in Singapore 👌 pic.twitter.com/vqw3655NjT
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 30, 2023
That has boosted his ownership to over 12 per cent, making Nunez the fifth most-popular forward in 2023/24 Fantasy.
Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku (£7.5m) is also emerging as a strong candidate in the sub-£8.0m bracket.
After starting as a No 10 in the Blues’ previous match, Nkunku was deployed as a left-winger against Fulham in the Premier League Summer Series, with Nicolas Jackson (£7.0m) dropping to the bench.
Nkunku’s strike in Chelsea's 2-0 win took his tally to three goals in his four fixtures.
A kind schedule from Gameweek 3 onwards could make the Frenchman a must-have if he secures the lone forward role under Mauricio Pochettino.
According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR) five of Chelsea's subsequent six matches score only two.
Chelsea's GW 3-8 fixtures
| GW | Opponent | FDR | GW | Opponent | FDR |
| 3 | LUT (H) | 2 | 6 | AVL (H) | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | NFO (H) | 2 | 7 | FUL (A) | 2 |
| 5 | BOU (A) | 2 | 8 | BUR (A) | 2 |
Elsewhere, Danny Welbeck (£6.0m) and Carlton Morris (£5.5m) have the form to offer value from the start of the new season.
Welbeck has started two of Brighton & Hove Albion’s three summer encounters and scored on both occasions, the latest strike in a 2-1 loss to Newcastle United.
Welbeck's goal v Newcastle
.@Kaoru_Mitoma put it on a plate for @DannyWelbeck last night! 🍽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/NmQznhCriu
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) July 29, 2023
According to the FDR, each of the Seagulls’ first three matches, against Luton Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United, score only two in the FDR.
Morris maintains scoring form
Morris has scored in all three of his side’s summer friendlies, and stepped off the bench to deliver the winner against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
😎 Carlton Morris doing what Carlton Morris does.@CarltonJM | #COYH pic.twitter.com/2IzfUU7BiJ
— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) July 29, 2023
He was a huge influence in his debut season for Luton, scoring 20 of their 57 goals in the 2022/23 Championship and assisting a further seven.
Alvarez to partner Haaland again?
Finally, managers should monitor Pep Guardiola’s first XI for Manchester City’s Community Shield match with Arsenal this weekend.
Guardiola started Julian Alvarez (£6.5m) alongside Erling Haaland (£14.0m) for the first time in pre-season in the champions’ 2-1 loss to Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Alvarez and Haaland had played 45 minutes each as a centre-forward over their club’s opening two friendlies.
The Argentinian was one of only two players, along with centre-back Ruben Dias (£5.5m), to play 90 minutes against Atletico.
With Kevin De Bruyne (£10.5m) yet to feature this summer, Alvarez could be a short-term gem at just £6.5m if he retains his start in the opening Gameweeks.
Also in this series
Part 1: Set-pieces lifting Chilwell prospects
Part 2: Eze pick of mid-priced midfielders?
