With another month-and-a-half remaining of the summer transfer window, there is plenty of time for clubs around the world to add as many fresh faces as they would like, even without the chaos that ensues on deadline day. Nevertheless, FPL managers around the world do not get such a luxury with their squads ideally needing to be selected in time for the first Premier League gameweek, commencing on August 11. Prices will fluctuate as the season progresses, yet there are already some must-haves on the game that every manager should be considering.
Just like punters can benefit from UK no deposit bonus codes, FPL players need value for money to facilitate the higher-profile players, and that could come in the form of Morgan Gibbs-White. Selecting a Nottingham Forest playmaker may feel like somewhat of a left-field choice, yet pound-for-pound last season, there were few more effective than the England Under-21 star. Five goals and eight assists came from his 35 appearances for a team that were fighting relegation throughout their first campaign back in the top flight. Unlike some of the players who are marginally more expensive than him, he is his team's key player, guaranteeing his selection when fit, and for £6m, Gibbs-White may prove to be a difference maker.
As many as 85.5% of players have selected Erling Haaland for £14m, effectively meaning that you need to search far and wide for cost-effective options with your other two picks. Brighton & Hove Albion's Evan Ferguson catches our eye for £6m, yet preference should go to Alexander Isak, even if he costs £1.5m more at £7.5m. Although the Newcastle United star accumulated just 100 points last season, that total came from 22 appearances, with 10 goals and two assists being provided. Consideration must be given to Eddie Howe potentially selecting just one of Isak and Callum Wilson in his front three, but the Sweden international has proven his ability on the flanks as well as down the centre.
Our remaining three choices come in defence, our thinking being that over a third of FPL players have picked Trent Alexander-Arnold and must now balance that out with selections costing approximately half of his £8m value. Given Reece James's injury issues at Chelsea, we like the look of Malo Gusto at just £4m, it highly likely that the attack-minded right-back will be provided with sufficient game time throughout the season. This is a pick where the entire 2023-24 would need to be considered, and selecting a player who was starring in a Lyon side before a hamstring injury could save up to £0.5m as the campaign progresses. Even if the young Frenchman does not merit a place in the first XI, he may prove invaluable if kept in reserve.
Another full-back who is arriving in the Premier League is Destiny Udogie. Tottenham Hotspur completed a deal for the left-back last summer before allowing him to remain at Udinese, and such was his progression that he contributed three goals and four assists from 31 outings in Serie A. The Italy Under-21 international is perhaps better suited to a wing-back role, but that will not count against him in Ange Postecoglou's style of play. Ryan Sessegnon is out for the foreseeable future after hamstring surgery, leaving the door open for Udogie to compete with Ben Davies, and it leaves his £4.5m asking price as a clear bargain.
Aston Villa have pulled off one of the coups of the summer in signing Pau Torres from Villarreal. The Spain international has been linked with numerous bigger clubs over the past two years, but he has now been reunited with his former manager Unai Emery. Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings were the established defensive pairing in 2022-23, yet Villa have not paid in the region of £35m for the 26-year-old to sit on the substitutes' bench. His price of £4.5m is probably the limit that we would pay, but this is a player who netted 12 times from 173 games during his time at the Yellow Submarine.