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8th August 2014
06:39pm BST
If Alexis fills his boots with goals as well as he fills that shirt, Arsenal are onto a winner
The Chilean has never been prolific – the 19 league goals he scored for Barca was a career high – but he’s likely to be more influential at the Emirates than he was at the Nou Camp and he’ll chip in with a handful of assists too.
Cesc Fabregas (£9.0 million). His time at Barcelona wasn’t exactly a riveting success but Fabregas will be the playmaker in chief at Stamford Bridge and if he settles quickly, he could soon become one of the most influential players in the Premier League once again, three years after leaving Arsenal.
A decent goal tally will be a bonus but managers picking Fabregas will be looking for assists. From the 2006/07 season until his departure, Cesc’s assist numbers were in double figures, including an incredible 20 in 2007/08. He’s going to be a very popular choice.
Adam Lallana (£8.5 million). One of the more expensive acquisitions of the summer window isn’t likely to see action for a few weeks because of injury, but he’s well worth considering in the long-term.
The England man has produced the goods often enough in Southampton colours so we know he has the pedigree – nine goals, nine assists and 20 bonus points last season – but it will be interesting to see how he adapts from being the main man at St. Mary’s to part of a greater collective at Anfield.
Siem de Jong (£7.0 million). Like Sanchez, Newcastle’s recruit from Ajax is likely to attract plenty of attention because he’s listed as a midfielder despite often playing further up the pitch. In four of the last five seasons, De Jong hit double figures in terms of league goals and the odd year out was last season when he managed only 19 games in the Eredivisie.
With Remy gone, the Magpies need goals and De Jong might be in De Right place at De Right time.
Enner Valencia (£7.0 million). One of the standout performers in the group stages of the World Cup, Valencia’s arrival in London would appear to be a huge coup for Hammers boss Sam Allardyce.
The Ecuador international managed an impressive 18 goals in 23 appearances for Pachuca in the Mexican league last season and while that might not be reliable barometer of his quality, his performances in Brazil suggest he should cut the mustard in the Premier League.
Luke Shaw (£6.0 million). Surprisingly enough, Shaw provided just two assists in a very impressive campaign for Southampton last season, but managers will be tempted to pick the teenager because of his likely place in Louis Van Gaal’s Manchester United side in this campaign.
It already seems clear that LVG is going to implement a 3-5-2 formation or some variation using three at the back, which will probably mean that Shaw will get plenty of opportunities to roam forward from left-wing back. If he gets his fitness up to speed and builds on his vast potential, it could be a very bright first season at Old Trafford.
Robert Snodgrass (£6.0 million). The Scot isn’t nearly as glamorous as some of the other inclusions here, but if you’re looking for a reliable performer at a decent price, then you won’t find many better than the former Norwich City man.
Snodgrass has scored six goals in the last two campaigns and he recorded nine assists in the season before last to boot. In an upwardly mobile Hull City side, he could be a valuable man to have in your squad.
Bojan Krcic (£5.5 million). If you were told a few years back that Bojan would be playing for Stoke and would be available at such a knockdown price in Fantasy Football, you’d have laughed harder than Sam Allardyce at a diving foreigner, but that’s exactly where he finds himself just short of his 24th birthday.
Three goals in three games already for Bojan, a 100% record that will surely be maintained throughout the entire season
Bojan scored only four goals in 24 appearances while on loan to Ajax last season and a manager’s faith in him will be based purely on memory from his early days at the Nou Camp. It remains to be seen, of course, how a man who came through the cosseted ranks at Barcelona will cope on a wet and windy day in Stoke, which, eh, he’ll have to do every other week.
Mauricio Isla (no price given yet). The Chilean international has not yet been given a value on the Fantasy Premier League website (at the time of writing at least) but he should be available for around the £5 million mark, not bad for a defender who made 18 league appearances for Serie A-winning Juventus last season.
He was good for a goal or two here or there in his Udinese days, but even if he doesn’t get on the scoresheet that often, he’s a solid performer and will be playing alongside similarly solid performers in the likes of Steven Caulker, Rio Ferdinand and our own Richard Dunne in what is shaping up to be a decent looking QPR defence next season.
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