FPL 2024/25 pre-season lessons from EVERY club

The Scout pinpoints the key lessons and hidden gems that have emerged for each team over pre-season to help Fantasy Premier League managers finalise their squads ahead of the Gameweek 1 deadline at 18:30 BST on Friday 16 August. 

Arsenal

The absence of a number of international stars allowed Gabriel Jesus (£7.0m) to feature up front for Arsenal over the summer. And the Brazilian seized his chance, scoring a team-high three goals and also supplying an assist.

Kai Havertz (£8.0m) made two of his three appearances as a No 8, producing two goals and two assists in those matches. But the German was picked in his usual role as a forward in the Gunners' final pre-season friendly against French side Lyon last weekend, with Jesus dropping to the bench.   

England stars Bukayo Saka (£10.0m) and Declan Rice (£6.5m) were eased back into action after their exertions at UEFA EURO 2024. They earned 45 minutes off the bench in Arsenal’s penultimate friendly, then started - and played nearly 80 minutes - in their 2-0 win over Lyon.

The Gunners’ new left-back Riccardo Calafiori (£6.0m) made his debut off the bench in the Lyon match, replacing Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.0m). The latter had far more minutes under his belt over the summer and is a likely starter for the beginning of the season.

Aston Villa

The versatile Morgan Rogers (£5.0m) has emerged as a popular budget midfielder, found in eight per cent of squads. He played as a No 10 and - in the case of Villa's final two friendlies - as a forward. Rogers was involved in a team-high five goals over the summer, scoring three and assisting two. 

Cut-price defenders Kosta Nedeljkovic (£4.0m) and Matty Cash (£4.5m) mainly shared minutes at right-back. The absence of Cash in Villa’s last match against Borussia Dortmund allowed Nedeljkovic to play the full 90 minutes although it remains to be seen whether he has secured a starting role.

Ollie Watkins (£9.0m) played zero minutes over pre-season due to his late return to training following EUR0 2024, and seems unlikely to start Gameweek 1.

AFC Bournemouth

Luis Sinisterra (£5.5m) approaches Gameweek 1 having scored in back-to-back wins over Rayo Vallecano and Girona. The Colombian - who is listed as a midfielder in Fantasy - played up front in the second half of Bournemouth’s final fixture due to the departure of Dominic Solanke (£7.5m) to Tottenham Hotspur.

Sinisterra's header v Girona

Justin Kluivert (£5.5m) was another beneficiary from the sale of Solanke. Kluivert scored his first goal of the summer against Girona, converting a penalty in the 3-2 victory. It’s uncertain, however, whether he is now their first-choice taker, with Solanke’s former deputy Enes Unal (£5.5m) still missing through injury.

Brentford

Wingers Bryan Mbeumo (£7.0m) and Kevin Schade (£5.5m) led the way for goal involvements over Brentford's friendlies. Both scored their third goal of pre-season in the Bees' final match, a 4-4 draw against Wolfsburg, while Mbeumo’s assist against the German side was his first of the summer.  

Up front, Yoane Wissa (£6.0m) could be temporarily in the driving seat to start the season. An injury to new signing Thiago (£6.0m), combined with Ivan Toney’s (£7.5m) late return to action, has allowed Wissa to clock 336 minutes, the fourth-most of any Brentford player. Toney, meanwhile, replaced Wissa at the break against Wolfsburg to collect his first minutes of pre-season.

Thomas Frank’s side could be one to target, though, due to their issues in defence. With first-choice full-backs Rico Henry (£4.5m) and Aaron Hickey (£4.5m) still sidelined through injury, Brentford were without a clean sheet over the summer, conceding 11 goals in five fixtures.

Brighton & Hove Albion

Left-back Valentin Barco (£4.0m) has soared in ownership in Fantasy due to his summer displays under Brighton's new head coach Fabian Hurzeler. The Argentinian was handed a share of set-piece duties and could start the season as his rival Pervis Estupinan (£5.0m) remains sidelined. Barco is now the seventh most-selected defender in Fantasy, found in over 18 per cent of squads.

Joao Pedro’s (£5.5m) ownership of nearly 18 per cent - which makes him the fifth most-popular forward - has been largely unmerited. The Brazilian played only 45 minutes over the summer, starting the Seagulls’ final friendly before being replaced at the break. Instead, it is Danny Welbeck (£6.0m) who has been the main frontman for Hurzeler, with three goals and an assist over their four matches.

Yankuba Minteh (£5.5m), a summer signing from Newcastle United, was Brighton's top performer in pre-season, scoring three goals and assisting a further two. His fellow winger Kaoru Mitoma (£6.5m), meanwhile, returned from the injury that had kept him out since February, and the Japan star supplied two assists over the summer.

Chelsea 

Christopher Nkunku (£6.5m) mainly featured as one of two No 8s under Enzo Maresca, Chelsea's new head coach. The Frenchman also profited from the absence of Cole Palmer (£10.5m) during pre-season, scoring two of his three goals via the penalty spot. That output has made Nkunku the most-selected sub-£7.0m midfielder in Fantasy, found in 17 per cent of squads.

Meanwhile, Palmer is the most-owned midfielder in the game, selected by 42 per cent after finishing last season as the top-scoring player in Fantasy. He played only 45 minutes over the summer, featuring as a substitute in Chelsea’s final friendly against Inter Milan last weekend. 

Robert Sanchez (£4.5m) looks set to begin 2024/25 between the posts. The Spaniard started all five of the Blues’ matches, including a 90-minute runout at the weekend - an indication that he is currently ahead of new signing Filip Jorgensen (£4.5m) as their No 1.

Crystal Palace

Key players Eberechi Eze (£7.0m), Daniel Munoz (£5.0m) and Marc Guehi (£4.5m) all made their first appearances of pre-season in Palace’s final friendly last weekend against Nantes. They were each withdrawn around the hour-mark in a 1-1 draw with the French side as the Eagles stepped up their match sharpness.

Forward Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.5m) did not feature in pre-season as he was representing France at the Paris Olympics. Odsonne Edouard (£5.5m) led the line for Palace in his absence, producing two goals and two assists. 

New signing Daichi Kamada (£5.5m) impressed over the summer after reuniting with Oliver Glasner, his former head coach at Eintracht Frankfurt  Kamada delivered two goals and two assists, including Palace's effort against Nantes at the weekend.

Everton

Everton and England No 1 Jordan Pickford (£5.0m) allayed any fears over him missing the start of 2024/25 by returning to action against Roma last weekend. 

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m) approaches the season in improving form. The forward has produced all his attacking returns this summer - two goals and an assist - in Everton’s last two matches.

Calvert-Lewin's goal v Roma

A raft of injuries in central midfield has lifted Tim Iroegbunam’s (£4.5m) prospects of a start in Gameweek 1. Iroegbunam has played 335 minutes over the Toffees’ five pre-season matches, second only to the 367 minutes of Jack Harrison (£5.5m). 

Fulham 

Emile Smith Rowe (£5.5m) has become a popular target in Fantasy due to his immediate impact at Fulham. The summer signing from Arsenal scored in both his summer appearances for the Cottagers and has risen to over 10 per cent ownership - the second most-picked midfielder priced at £6.0m and under. 

Smith Rowe’s displays have allowed Alex Iwobi (£5.5m) to remain under the radar of managers in Fantasy. Iwobi has been involved in a team-high five goals - scoring two and assisting three - yet can be found in a mere 0.5 per cent of squads.

Ipswich Town

Ipswich's Ben Johnson looks a secure pick in the £4.0m defender bracket in Fantasy. The summer signing from West Ham United played 307 minutes across pre-season, more than any team-mate. Johnson helped Kieran McKenna’s side keep three clean sheets over their four matches.

The Tractor Boys have also been boosted by the arrival of their new No 1 Arijanet Muric (£4.5m) from Burnley. Muric averaged 4.7 points per match over his 10 appearances in Fantasy last term, more than any other goalkeeper.

Leicester City

Harry Winks’ very favourable price has made him the go-to budget midfielder for many managers. Winks is one of very few midfielders available for £4.5m who look certain to be a regular starter – as a result he is selected by 12 per cent of managers, more than any midfielder at £6.0m and under. 

Winger Stephy Mavididi (£5.5m) could be handed a role up front in the opening Gameweeks, with both Leicester forwards Jamie Vardy (£5.5m) and Patson Daka (£5.0m) sidelined through injury. Mavididi – who was Leicester’s top scorer in pre-season with two goals, moved up front for their final summer fixture against Lens after Daka limped off. 

Leicester's poor pre-season form suggests that targeting players from sides facing the Foxes could be a profitable early tactic. They have failed to score in their last three matches and are without a clean sheet in five summer fixtures under new manager Steve Cooper.

Liverpool

The displays of Diogo Jota (£7.5m) under Arne Slot indicate he can offer a far more budget-friendly route than Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) into Liverpool’s attack. Jota was involved in a team-high four goals over the summer, scoring one and assisting three in only 200 minutes. Salah delivered a goal and two assists in 344 minutes, by contrast.

The Reds were without a host of regulars during pre-season, with Alisson (£5.5m), Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.0m), Virgil van Dijk (£6.0m), Luis Diaz (£7.5m) and Alexis Mac Allister (£6.5m) only earning their first minutes under Slot in their final friendly of the summer, a 4-1 win over Sevilla last weekend.

Jarell Quansah’s (£4.5m) pitch time during pre-season looks encouraging for his chances of starting in Gameweek 1. The centre-back was among five Liverpool players to play the full 90 minutes against Sevilla last weekend, while his 344 minutes over the summer are joint-top, along with Salah, Kostas Tsimikas (£5.0m) and Harvey Elliott (£5.5m).

Manchester City

Erling Haaland (£15.0m) was the joint-top goalscorer among Premier League sides over pre-season, finding the net on five occasions. That form has resulted in a huge surge in ownership for the Man City forward – despite his record-breaking price tag, he is the second-most popular player in 2024/25 Fantasy, selected by 47 per cent of managers.

The absence of a host of Pep Guardiola’s regulars has allowed Oscar Bobb (£5.0m) to impress over the summer. Bobb was involved in a team-high six goals, scoring two and assisting four. The winger is a differential ahead of Friday’s deadline, with a mere three per cent ownership, although Fantasy managers should be aware that reports suggest he has suffered an injury.

Bobb's assist v Man Utd

Phil Foden (£9.5m), Kyle Walker, John Stones (both £5.5m) and Rodri (£6.5m) failed to play any part in pre-season due to their international commitments over the summer. Pep Guardiola confirmed last weekend that all four will return to training this week, which places question marks over their minutes for Gameweek 1, at least, given their manager’s penchant for rotation.

Manchester United

Bruno Fernandes (£8.5m) played as a “false nine” in the absence of injured forward Rasmus Hojlund (£7.0m) in the Community Shield against Man City last weekend. Although this was his first outing of the summer, the Portuguese played the full 90 minutes to allay any fears over his fitness ahead of the start of the season. He also supplied the assist for Alejandro Garnacho’s (£6.5m) goal.

Amad’s (£5.0m) displays over the summer raise his prospects of making an early impact this season. The winger was involved in three goals – joint-top with Marcus Rashford (£7.0m) – thanks to two goals and an assist. 

Man Utd’s new centre-back Matthijs de Ligt (£5.0m) signed from Bayern Munich after their pre-season had concluded. The Dutchman is expected to quickly establish himself as a regular starter following his arrival – he has scored eight goals in his last three league seasons, in addition to two assists.

Newcastle United

Newcastle’s Jacob Murphy (£5.5m) looks set to start against Southampton in Gameweek 1 after he was involved in more goals than any other player in Fantasy over pre-season. The winger matched Haaland’s total of five goals and also supplied three assists. 

Magpies forward Alexander Isak (£8.5m) enjoyed a consistent run of form over the summer, with three goals, an assist and only one blank in his five outings. That has made Isak the most-owned player in Fantasy ahead of his home match against Saints, with over 57 per cent of managers selecting the Swede.

Summer signing Lewis Hall (£4.5m), on the other hand, offers a major differential in defence. The left-back produced a goal and two assists over pre-season, yet can be found in a mere three per cent of squads. His team-mate Dan Burn (£4.5m) is owned by 18 per cent – making him the seventh most-popular defender in Fantasy - but he failed to produce any attacking returns. 

Nottingham Forest

Chris Wood (£6.0m) has the form and fixtures to make an immediate impact on the new season. Nott'm Forest’s forward has combined three goals with two assists this summer - according to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), five of Forest’s first six matches score only two.

Callum Hudson-Odoi has the upper hand over his fellow budget midfielder Anthony Elanga (both £5.5m) when it comes to form. While both scored one goal in pre-season, Hudson-Odoi bettered Elanga by three assists to one and offers a cheaper option than Morgan Gibbs-White (£6.5m) as a route into Nuno Espirito Santo’s attack.

Southampton 

As many as three £4.0m-priced defenders were among the top six Southampton players for minutes played during pre-season – Charlie Taylor, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Nathan Wood-Gordon. Harwood-Bellis is by far the most popular, with an ownership of 11 per cent making him the second-most selected defender at this price point in Fantasy.

Adam Armstrong (£5.5m) has been quick to make a case as the go-to budget forward in 2024/25, scoring three goals for Saints over the summer. Armstrong’s numbers from the previous campaign underline his huge influence on his side’s attack – he combined 24 goals with 13 assists for the Championship playoff winners in 2023/24.  

Ben Brereton Diaz (£5.5m) enjoyed a goalscoring debut in Southampton’s penultimate summer friendly after signing from Spanish side Villarreal. Brereton Diaz’s impact hints at a return to the form that made him a big budget success in the second half of last season – he averaged 4.4 points per match for Sheffield United, producing six goals and an assist in 14 appearances.

Tottenham Hotspur

Dejan Kulusevski (£6.5m) took his pre-season tally to three goals and three assists with a brace in Spurs' final friendly against Bayern Munich last weekend. However, Kulusevski’s output was helped by a role up front in that match, and with Dominic Solanke (£7.5m) having now signed from AFC Bournemouth, the Swede will surely move back to his usual role out wide.

Ange Postecoglou’s recent comments on Solanke, hinting that the striker may well start Spurs’ Gameweek 1 trip to Leicester, have made a big impact on the player’s popularity in Fantasy. Solanke has soared to almost 25 per cent ownership, making him the fourth most-picked forward and the most-selected Spurs attacker, with Son Heung-min (£10.0m) found in only 10 per cent of squads by contrast.

Pedro Porro’s (£5.5m) two goals during pre-season have turned the heads of many managers, with an ownership of 32 per cent making him the third-most selected defender in Fantasy. Back-to-back matches with Leicester and Everton to open the season also raise the Spaniard’s prospects of clean sheets.

West Ham United

Jarrod Bowen (£7.5m) and Lucas Paqueta (£6.0m) earned their first minutes under Julen Lopetegui in West Ham’s final summer friendly, a 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo last weekend. Despite their lack of pitch time, the pair made an immediate impression with a goal and an assist apiece. Bearing in mind that no other West Ham player was involved in more than two goals, it’s fair to say they are a work in progress right now.

Bowen's goal v Celta Vigo

Lopetegui has added a number of new players to his squad, reuniting with centre-back Max Kilman (£4.5m) after a previous stint together at Wolves. Kilman played 315 minutes over the summer, more than any of his new team-mates, but their displays at the back also underline their current frailties – West Ham conceded at least twice in four of their five pre-season contests.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

New arrival Rodrigo Gomes (£5.5m) was Wolves’ top scorer over pre-season. Playing as a right wing-back, the Portuguese – who is listed as a midfielder in Fantasy – scored three goals to highlight his potential in the budget bracket.

In defence, Wolves’ centre-back Yerson Mosquera is another name to add to the list of £4.0m starters. The Colombian was one of only five players to feature from start to finish in their final friendly against Rayo Vallecano last weekend. That took Mosquera’s pitch time to 335 minutes over the summer, a total bettered by only four other Wolves players.