The Scout's watchlist of premium midfielders for Fantasy Premier League managers to consider continues.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) £9.0m
Salah has wasted no time in announcing himself to FPL managers.
The Liverpool winger scored on his first appearance during a 45-minute outing against Wigan Athletic last week.
He also caught the eye on Wednesday as Liverpool progressed to the final of the Premier League Asia Trophy in Hong Kong.
Those performances showcased the attacking talents that produced 15 goals and 11 assists for Roma in Serie A last season.
Liverpool provided six of the 18 top-scoring FPL midfielders in 2016/17.
But Roberto Firmino (£8.5m) and James Milner (£6.5m) have been reclassified as a forward and defender respectively.
So Salah will vie with Sadio Mane (£9.5m) and Philippe Coutinho (£9.0m) as the most potent route into the Reds’ midfield.
He currently resides in 12.2% of FPL squads, some way behind Coutinho’s 30.7% ownership.
But the numbers suggest he will prove strong competition for a place in our lineups.
Salah bettered Mane for minutes per shot (31.1 to 39.3) and chances created (35 to 51) last season.
Although Coutinho surpassed the new signing for both of those (21 minutes per shot and 34.2 minutes per key pass), Salah was far more clinical than the Brazilian.
He converted 18.8% of his scoring opportunities in 2016/17 compared with Coutinho’s 12.3%.
That eye for goal could prove telling should manager Jurgen Klopp tweak his tactics.
Salah is versatile enough to play on either flank in Klopp’s favoured 4-3-3 formation.
But he can also feature centrally should the Reds manager return to the midfield diamond system used over the final fixtures of 2016/17.
The opening schedule hands the Merseysiders an immediate opportunity for Fantasy points.
According to the Fixture Difficulty Rankings (FDR), three of their opening five matches score no more than two.
If Salah can capitalise on that run, his ownership will soar and the question of who will be Liverpool’s go-to midfielder may finally be answered.
Liverpool's first six Gameweeks
| GW | Opponent | FDR (1 = Low 5 = High) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Watford (a) | 2 |
| 2 | Crystal Palace (h) | 2 |
| 3 | Arsenal (h) | 4 |
| 4 | Manchester City (a) | 4 |
| 5 | Burnley (h) | 1 |
| 6 | Leicester City (a) | 3 |
