The disparity in price between Martin Odegaard (£8.5m) and Bukayo Saka (£10.0m) may influence managers’ decisions to allocate resources towards Arsenal’s offensive line in their initial Fantasy Premier League rosters.
Saka has gained £1.5 million since the beginning of 2023–24 after recording his second consecutive season with 200 or more points.
Now one of the most expensive midfielders in the game, the England star is joined by Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) and Cole Palmer (£10.5m). It’s reasonable to suggest that managers will need to look for value in order to help strike a balance across their squads, especially considering Erling Haaland’s enormous £15.0m valuation.
Saka’s efforts with England in EURO 2024, where he played 637 minutes and started all seven of their games, undoubtedly indicate that he may be one of several important Fantasy assets who will be given permission by their clubs to resume training later than usual in front of the upcoming season.
Given Saka’s absence from international duty, Odegaard might have more of an impact in the first few Gameweeks if Saka is gradually brought back into the fold.
With eight goals and eleven assists, the Norwegian scored 186 points in 2023–24 Fantasy, despite being overshadowed by his teammate. When Saka is off the pitch, Odegaard is also probably going to be on penalties.
Alternatives for Arsenal
In other Gunners news, Declan Rice (£6.5 million) may be a popular choice in the mid-priced midfielder category based on his play in the second part of the last campaign. From Gameweek 21 onward, he contributed eight of his nine assists and four of his seven goals.
At his increased price of £5.5 million, custodian David Raya is not expected to be well-liked by the defence. The ideal method to look for value between the posts is to discover a cut-price No. 1 who gives plenty of save points and bonus point potential, as Everton’s Jordan Pickford (£5.0m) demonstrated last season when he was budgeted at £4.5m.
Raya’s ascent also suggests that managers could expect a hike in price for Arsenal’s starting defenders following their league-high 18 clean sheet season in 2023–2024.
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