As sales of Bukayo Saka (£10.0m) escalate in 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League ahead of Arsenal’s tough schedule and with the winger an injury concern, The Scout highlights the midfielders with the most attacking potential.
After missing out against AFC Bournemouth last weekend due to injury, Saka is the most-sold attacker ahead of Friday’s 18:30 BST deadline.
Even if he is fit to return to action for the Gunners’ UEFA Champions League match at home to Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday evening, Saka’s potential for attacking returns in Fantasy is arguably the worst it will be all season.
According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), each of Arsenal’s next three matches – at home to Liverpool, followed by visits to Newcastle United and Chelsea – score at least four.
Indeed, this is the only time for the rest of 2024/25 Fantasy that they face such a daunting spell in the FDR ratings.
Arsenal's fixtures
| GW | Opp. | FDR* |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Liverpool (H) | 5 |
| 10 | Newcastle (A) | 4 |
| 11 | Chelsea (A) | 4 |
*1 = easiest possible fixture, 5 = hardest possible fixture
Saka’s turn in schedule also comes after a Gameweek where his premium-priced rivals, Son Heung-min (£9.8m) and Mohamed Salah (£12.6m), enjoyed successful weekends.
When we also consider the early-season displays of Cole Palmer (£10.8m), there’s a growing argument to have at least two premium midfielders in your squad, allowing you to cater for the re-emergence from injury of players such as Son.
Who have been the best midfielders in FPL so far?
An assessment of the midfielders who have been involved in at least five goals (scoring or assisting) shows there are options right across the price points.
There's no surprise to learn that Salah and Palmer have been the standout midfielders in the opening eight Gameweeks of 2024/25.
Five goals and five assists have taken Salah to the top of the player standings on 74 points, with the Egyptian averaging 9.2 points per match under Arne Slot.
But it is Chelsea's Palmer who leads the way for goal involvements, with a total of 11. In terms of value in Fantasy, he also has the edge over Salah. At a cost of £10.8m, Palmer’s total of 69 points equates to 6.4 points per million spent. At a cost of £12.6m, Salah has returned 5.9 points per million.
Son’s appeal as a like-for-like replacement for Saka is obvious here. The Spurs star costs virtually the same as his north London rival, around the £10.0m mark, and has averaged 7.5 points per match, nearly identical to the 7.7 of Arsenal’s winger.
Top midfielders' stats compared 24/25
| Player | G+A | Pts | Pts/match | Pts/million |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer | 11 | 69 | 8.6 | 6.4 |
| Salah | 10 | 74 | 9.2 | 5.9 |
| Saka | 9 | 54 | 7.7 | 5.3 |
| Son | 6 | 45 | 7.5 | 4.6 |
| Diaz | 6 | 55 | 6.9 | 6.9 |
| Mbeumo | 6 | 53 | 6.6 | 7.1 |
| McNeil | 6 | 47 | 5.9 | 8.2 |
| Maddison | 6 | 43 | 5.4 | 5.7 |
| Madueke | 5 | 45 | 6.4 | 6.9 |
| Buonanotte | 5 | 34 | 4.9 | 6.8 |
| Johnson | 5 | 38 | 4.8 | 5.8 |
| Jota | 5 | 35 | 5.0 | 4.7 |
| Bowen | 5 | 38 | 4.8 | 5.1 |
Bryan Mbeumo (£7.5m) has established himself as the best option among the mid-price midfielders. Six goals have taken the Brentford star to fifth in his position on 53 points, just one behind Saka.
While Liverpool pair Luis Diaz (£8.0m) and Diogo Jota (£7.4m), along with Spurs’ James Maddison (£7.6m), have also enjoyed productive starts to 2024/25 Fantasy, there now appear to be too many question marks over their minutes, and owning any of them right now seems an unnecessary risk.
Similarly to Mbeumo, West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen (£7.4m) is a talisman who offers guaranteed starts, with his average of 4.8 points per match identical to that of Spurs’ Brennan Johnson (£6.6m).
In the budget bracket, Everton’s Dwight McNeil (£5.7m) and Leicester City’s Facundo Buonanotte (£5.0m) catch the eye.
McNeil is the No 1 midfielder for value this season, returning 8.2 points per million spent. Playing in a No 10 role for Everton, he has already matched his total of three goals from last season, while also supplying three assists.
Buonanotte has now started each of Leicester’s last three contests, scoring twice and supplying an assist to collect 21 points in that run.
Who has had the greatest goal threat?
The underlying statistics further highlight Palmer and Salah's major potential for goals.
Palmer is among the top two here for both goals and big chances, with six and eight respectively. Salah, meanwhile, leads the way for big chances, just ahead of Palmer on nine, while his 23 shots in the box rank second.
Impressively, Johnson's 26 shots in the box are more than any other midfielder in 2024/25.
But what is noticeable is that only six of those efforts (or 23 per cent) have been big chances. As a result, he has scored with only 11.5 per cent of his shots - the worst of any player in the table below. Son's 25 per cent goal conversion, on the other hand, highlights his world-class finishing skills.
Mbeumo's 35.3 per cent goal conversion looks a little too lofty for the Cameroonian to sustain over the long term, while on the flip side you would expect Bowen's 12.5 goal conversion rate to improve.
Top midfielders' goal threat 24/25
| Player | Goals | Goal conversion | Shots in box | Big chances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer | 6 | 21.4% | 16 | 8 |
| Mbeumo | 6 | 35.3% | 13 | 6 |
| Salah | 5 | 20.8% | 23 | 9 |
| Madueke | 4 | 17.4% | 18 | 5 |
| Son | 3 | 25.0% | 7 | 3 |
| Buonanotte | 3 | 23.1% | 9 | 3 |
| McNeil | 3 | 22.0% | 8 | 1 |
| Johnson | 3 | 11.5% | 26 | 6 |
| Bowen | 2 | 12.5% | 12 | 2 |
Who has been involved in the most big chances?
By also factoring in each player’s creativity, you can get a clearer picture of who has the best potential for goals and assists in Fantasy.
Once again, Palmer and Salah are the top two. The Chelsea star has been in a league of his own for involvement in big chances. As well as the nine big chances he has had himself, Palmer has created a further eight, taking his total to 17.
Apart from Salah and Mbeumo – with 14 and 11 respectively – Palmer’s big-chance involvement is more than TWICE the rest of his rivals in the analysis.
Mbeumo’s six big chances and five big chances created, meanwhile, indicate he has better all-round potential than a number of the other midfielders.
McNeil’s seven big chances created account for the vast majority of his total of eight, while it’s the complete reverse for Johnson – although he’s had six big chances, he’s failed to create ANY such opportunity for his team-mates.
Top midfielders' creativity 24/25
| Player | Key passes | Big chances created | Total big-chance involvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer | 19 | 9 | 17 |
| Salah | 11 | 5 | 14 |
| Mbeumo | 16 | 5 | 11 |
| McNeil | 21 | 7 | 8 |
| Son | 13 | 4 | 7 |
| Buonanotte | 7 | 3 | 6 |
| Madueke | 7 | 1 | 6 |
| Johnson | 8 | 0 | 6 |
| Bowen | 18 | 3 | 5 |
So, who's the best Saka replacement?
Palmer and Salah are making a very convincing case as the best midfielders to own this season, and owning both stars looks the most productive approach right now.
Son’s ability to claim huge hauls is peerless among his Spurs team-mates and, if money is no object, his finishing skills and creativity make him their best option.
That shouldn’t dissuade his backers from also investing in Johnson, though. Indeed, a Son and Johnson pairing looks the only appealing double-up in attack for a single club over the next three Gameweeks.
Mbeumo’s involvement in big chances shows why he’s the best non-premium pick, while he also has the schedule to keep rewarding investors - four of Brentford’s next five matches score two in the FDR.
Credit is also due to McNeil and Buonanotte, with the underlying numbers suggesting they are well exceeding their price tags. Crucially, Everton and Leicester also have very favourable runs of opponents ahead which can allow the pair to continue providing excellent value for many Gameweeks to come.
