The 21-22 FPL season is not far away, and FPL players and the actual football teams themselves are busily getting their squads together. New Players are coming in and other players are changing clubs. But are they worthy of a place in your fantasy team? Our Fantasy Premier League Player Focus tries to make the arguments either way.
This edition of the Fantasy Premier League Player Focus revolves around two recent signings from Europe – Jadon Sancho from Dortmund to Manchester United and Bryan Gil from La Liga to Spurs.
Both are exciting players, one much more well known than the other. Bryan Gil in particular is a player we love as an Eibar supporter, but is he FPL good and demanding selection in your FPL? Is Jadon Sancho worth the hype?
We answer those questions below.
Player Focus – Fantasy Premier League Jadon Sancho
Transfer – Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United
Position – Mid – mainly right side.
Current Cost – 9.5
Current Ownership (July 30) – 11.2%
Jadon Sancho is by far the most interesting signing for FPL so far and could be a real game changer for those who take him and he performs well.
The trouble is will he do that? Even though he is English, will he be another underwhelming Bundesliga signing? Why couldn’t he get more game time for England at the Euros? Will there be some hangover from that penalty miss? Probably, no, not sure, and no are the answers in our opinion.
But his stats last season weren’t as good last season as the one before.
- 12 Goals / 14 Assists in 18-19 – 26 Matches / 8 Subs
- 17 Goals / 16 Assists in 19-20 – 25 Matches / 7 Subs
- 8 Goals / 11 Assists in 20-21 – 24 Matches / 2 Subs
Another concern it will he and Bruno get in each other’s way to a degree and spoil both potential FPL scoring. Yes they don’t play in exactly same area in midfield, but where last season Bruno was the go to guy, will the addition of Sancho spoil that?
But let’s look at the stats from last season.
His stats below are very good for Key Passes and assists. Not so for Shots.
So Key Passes per game has Sancho right up the top of the Premier League, and without going into relative strengths of leagues we still declare it’s a mighty fine stat.
Shots on goal and Shots on Target stats are not quite as good – 2.0 per game puts him in the Zaha/McGoldrick region from last season. But we guess he’ll be too busy supplying key passes to a hopefully firing Edison Cavani.
You will notice though his goal scoring and assists against the top teams last season proved he’s no flat track bully.
He ain’t no KDB, but he is also still only costs 9.5, and he’s not that far away. He could be a good option for those who want to take the Man City midfielder but can’t afford him. Or you could compare him to a Jack Grealish, as the stats are quite similar. But then you’re paying more for Sancho and presuming with confidence that he is going to nail the Premier League straight away. Maybe it’s a matter of keeping enough budget and seeing how he goes early in the season.
Perhaps in the end maybe the best decision is to take Edison Cavani, who is only 8.5 to buy, and is now being potentially supplied by Bruno Fernandes and Jadon Sancho each game.
Fantasy Premier League Player Focus – Bryan Gil
Transfer – La Liga (Sevilla/Eibar) to Spurs
Position – Mid – mainly left side.
Current Cost – 6.0
Current Ownership – 0.1%
This transfer certainly doesn’t have the general excitement as Jadon Sancho, but there’s a lot of localised excitement here at The Gurgler.
As Eibar fans we enjoyed Bryan Gil last season in La Liga, he was one of the few shining lights in a season where Eibar tried their hardest but ultimately finished last.
He was on loan from Sevilla who have cashed in this summer allowing Gil to move to Spurs. And what a buy he prove to be.
Gil will bring plenty of energy, skills and excitement as he thunders down the sideline, and could combine well with Son and Kane, giving Harry Kane slightly less to do. If he stays.
But for all the great football he offers, the big question is if Bryan Gil is FPL worthy?
The stats below don’t make an argument that way, but not forgetting that Bryan Gil played in a team who finished last and struggled to score. Eibar’s 29 goals in 38 games is just ahead of Fulham’s effort last season.
So his key passes stats aren’t top shelf, but he is still around the James Maddison and Son range at 1.9 per game, so not terrible.
The shots per game is quite low, putting him around a Liverpool defender and an underwhelming Chelsea signing. No, not that one, Ziyech.
Shots on Target put him at the Joelinton range, which will never be a ringing endorsement.
He has been included in the senior and Olympic Spanish squads this season, so is obviously rated highly at home.
In summary, Bryan Gil is a supreme talent, that we think in a better side will shine. But at 6.0 there are plenty of questions, the first being whether he will be better than any Leeds midfielder around the same price. Will new head coach Nuno use him effectively, given how little he used Traore at Wolves. If Harry Kane leaves will all his skills mean less without a quality target. After playing st the Olympics, he may not even start in GW1.
A wait and see at the moment, not so for the keen 0.1%, but hopefully you can be entertained in the meantime.
