Cue the music… Champions League football has returned!
And lucky for you football fanatics, that also means we’ve been ramping up our coverage tailored to the official Uefa Champions League (UCL) Fantasy game.
From the best, worst and funniest team names plus expert team reveals and chip strategies to predicted line-ups, transfer planning, a dedicated mini-league (with prizes!) and more, Scout has you covered for all things UCL Fantasy.
We’ve already discussed the best forwards, defenders, goalkeepers and premium midfielders, so now it’s time to circle back and examine the most appealing midfield options priced at €7m or below in UCL Fantasy.
- READ MORE: UCL Fantasy 2025/26 ultimate guide
THE FIXTURES
First, a look at the league phase fixtures – using our dedicated UCL Fixture Ticker, which features all 36 teams – as this inevitably will inform our selections.
XAVI SIMONS (€6.5m)/MOHAMMED KUDUS (€7M)
Given the above, it seems apt to consider a Tottenham attacker, with summer signings Mohammed Kudus (€7m) and Xavi Simons (€6.5m) the two men that jump out.
Starting together for the first time in Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 4, the pair combined for 17 attempted crosses (Kudus 10, Simons seven) and three created chances, with Simons registering his first assist in a Spurs shirt.
Kudus, meanwhile, attempted seven more take-ons with the ball, which could eventually lead to some penalties being won (a feat which earns +2 points in UCL Fantasy regardless of whether the resulting spot-kick is converted), and fired off four more shots (three inside the box and one Opta-defined ‘big chance’) against former club West Ham to triple his total tally for the season to date.
The Ghanaian looks to be firmly first choice on the right wing under Thomas Frank, though we could of course see some rotation there in the early stages of the league phase, particularly against easier opposition.
With Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison out for extended spells, together with his ability to play either centrally as a ‘10’ or on the (usually left) wing, perhaps Simons is a slightly safer pick minutes-wise despite the possible threat posed by a strong Gameweek 4 performance by Lucas Bergvall (€5m) – who could himself present an appealing squad-filling budget option if he can nail down a regular starting spot.
Simons also offers slight savings over Kudus, as well as a few seasons’ worth of prior Champions League experience (albeit with limited output in terms of goals and assists).
Whichever player you prefer, the Spurs men would certainly appear to be viable captaincy options on paper in several of their opening fixtures, from Bodo/Glimt (A) in Gameweek 2 to FC Copenhagen (H) in Matchday 4 and Matchday 6’s meeting with Slavia Prague (H).
None of those sides competed at Europe’s top table last time around, with Copenhagen reaching the Conference League round-of-16, the Slávisté going out at the Europa League’s first hurdle and Bodo losing both semi-finals legs of that competition against the eventual champion Lilywhites.
While far from perfect, this Spurs side looks markedly more solid than the injury-riddled group that struggled for much of last term under Ange Postecoglou, and Frank – while inexperienced in European football – will be hopeful of amassing a few early results to put his team on track for the knock-out rounds.
DECLAN RICE (€7m) / NONI MADUEKE (€6.5m)
From one half of north London to another, a few more familiar Premier League faces also rank highly on our current watchlist of sub-€7.5m midfielders in UCL Fantasy.
Declan Rice (€7m) finished as the third highest-scoring in-game midfielder in this price bracket last season, combining four goals – including those two wonderful free-kicks against Paris Saint-Germain – with two assists, 39 ball recoveries and two Player of the Match (PotM) awards.
Rice’s role on set pieces, which has helped him register two assists from three league starts already this season, should help keep those semi-regular attacking returns ticking over, while his ability to earn extra points for ball recoveries (+1 for every three such actions) presents another route to points.
The England international was rested against Nottingham Forest which should mean he’s in line to start against Athletic Bilbao, an opponent Arsenal beat 3-0 in pre-season, and the fixtures after that are relatively kind across the league phase, with Atletico Madrid (H, Matchday 3), Bayern Munich (H, Matchday 5) and Inter Milan (A, Matchday 7) likely to be the only real tests for Mikel Arteta’s men.
Of course, with Mikel Merino (€6.5m) – two-time scorer against Forest – a capable deputy, there’s a chance we see the odd bout of rotation involving Rice that affects his participation in Champions League matches as well. It’s a good thing manual substitutions are allowed within a Matchday in UCL Fantasy, then!
Only three players per club are allowed during the league phase, and the Gunners’ relatively kind fixtures mean we’re likely to want (at least) one of their backline members plus potentially Viktor Gyokeres (€9m) – who currently faces among the least competition for his place in the Arsenal XI – at some point. But, it’s worth mentioning the strong start to life in red and white that Noni Madueke (€6.5m) has enjoyed.
The ex-Chelsea man was generally thought of as a mere squad player when he arrived at the Emirates this summer, but the ongoing injury to Bukayo Saka (€9.5m) on the right has offered him a chance to impress – which he has done so far. Someone like Ethan Nwaneri (€5.5m) may still take some of his minutes, but Madueke would appear to face less competition than if he were being deployed on the left wing, where Eberechi Eze (€7.5m), Gabriel Martinelli (€7.5m) and Leandro Trossard (€7.0m) can all play as well.
Madueke also impressed for England over the recent international break and will be keen to feature as regularly as possible to build his case for inclusion at next summer’s World Cup. A strong run of Champions League fixtures in a team looking to improve on last season’s semi-final exit could help him do just that, and for UCL Fantasy managers he offers a differential to the vastly more popular Rice, with just 1% ownership at the time of writing compared to 15% for his countryman.
PEDRO GONCALVES (€6m)
Moving away from the English top flight now takes us to Portugal and Sporting Lisbon’s Pedro Goncalves (€6m), a player who could just turn out to be one of the best bargain buys in UCL Fantasy based on his current form.
A set-piece taker capable of playing on either wing but most experienced on the left, Goncalves bagged two goals from two starts in last season’s Champions League group stage before a muscle injury kept him out for the remainder of his team’s campaign in the competition – and indeed most of the rest of 2024/25.
The two league seasons before that, though, he impressively finished in double figures for both goals and assists and has stepped up again in both capacities so far this year (in the absence of his side’s former go-to guy Gyokeres), registering four goals and three assists from five Liga Portugal appearances to date.
Combined with a solid set of league stage-opening fixtures, that’s been enough to see Goncalves touted by one of our Pro Pundits, FPL Milanista – although last year’s overall UCL Fantasy winner is considering going with attacking midfield teammate Francisco Trincao (€6.0m) – who has three goals and an assist so far this term, and was directly involved in 24 league goals last season – instead.
Someone like Goncalves stands out as an eye-catching differential Matchday 1 captaincy pick given he faces Kairat Almaty (H), the 435th-best team in the world (per Opta Power Rankings), while Club Brugge (H) in Matchday 5 is another appealing match.
He’s only 4% owned in UCL Fantasy at the time of writing too, so now could be the perfect time to capitalise on that great-looking first game and get ahead of the crowd.
ARDA GULER (€6m)
Coming in at the same price point from a typically more competitive team, meanwhile, is Arda Guler (€6m).
Also under serious consideration by FPL Milanista, Guler has two goals and an assist to his name from four La Liga matches so far in 2025/26, and indeed has started every league match to date under new Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso. In that time, the 20-year-old attacking midfielder has been creating plenty of chances for the likes of Vinicius Jr (€9.5m) – who also appeals given his reclassification as a UCL Fantasy midfielder – and Kylian Mbappe (€10.5m).
Real’s league phase fixtures aren’t the greatest overall, but their pedigree in this competition is unrivalled and they do have an inconsistent Marseille (H) side plus Kairat Almaty (A) in their first two outings.
Guler certainly appears to have the potential to emerge as one of this season’s breakout stars, even if his minutes may at times be managed more than some of his more experienced (and expensive) teammates. His output in Real’s first four league matches matches that of Vini Jr, and the €3.5m worth of in-game savings could go a long way if he keeps that up.
KENAN YILDIZ (€6.5m)
Historically seen as more of a left winger, Kenan Yildiz (€6.5m) has been deployed exclusively as a ‘second striker’ for Juventus since the start of the Club World Cup – and to great effect.
The Turkey international has registered four goals and five assists from seven appearances in that role across the US-based summer tournament and the start of this season, becoming central to most good things Juve have been doing going forward.
His Champions League record wasn’t so great last season, with just a goal and assist from eight appearances as i bianconeri failed to reach the knock-out rounds, but we’d expect a better overall performance from the Italian giants under Igor Tudor, whose arrival in March saw an uptick in domestic performances.
Coupled with Juve having among the best league phase fixtures from an attacking standpoint despite early meetings with Borussia Dortmund (H, Matchday 1) and Real Madrid (A, Matchday 3), Yildiz stands out as a promising and potentially undervalued UCL Fantasy asset. He could even pose a captaincy option against the likes of Bodo/Glimt (A) in Matchday 5 and Pafos (H) in Matchday 6.
HAKAN CALHANOGLU (€7m)
Coincidentally the third Turk to make this watchlist, Hakan Calhanoglu (€7m) boasts something no other option mentioned so far in this price bracket does (to the best of our knowledge): penalty-taking duties.
The Inter Milan man scored three times from the spot (plus two more times from open play) in Serie A last season, more than any of his teammates, and is presumed to still be first choice from 12 yards. He registered a respectable six league assists as well despite almost exclusively lining up as a defensive midfielder.
En route to the 2024/25 Champions League final, meanwhile, Calhanoglu was responsible for another four goals, two assists and 52 ball recoveries, all of which – together with Inter’s deep run in the competition – helped him finish the campaign as the fourth-highest scoring UCL Fantasy midfielder in this price bracket.
He comes into Inter’s opening league phase match against Ajax (A) having just scored twice in a thriller against Juventus, and the rest of his side’s first four UCL fixtures – Slavia Prague (H), Union Saint-Gilloise (A) and Kairat Almaty (A) – couldn’t be much better on paper; indeed, they are the best of all 36 teams according during that time according to our Fixture Ticker.
OTHERS
Chelsea are another team who rank highly in the league phase for expected ease of attacking fixtures, but it may be a bit of a minefield figuring out who – if anyone – will start regularly in Enzo Maresca’s bloated attack. To name but a few options in this price bracket alone, there are Pedro Neto (€7m), Enzo Fernandez (€6.5m), Jamie Gittens (€6.5m), Alejandro Garnacho (€6m) and Estevao Willian (€6m)…
It’s Bayern Munich (A) up first for the Blues anyway, but keep an eye on who seems to be getting the most minutes in Europe as upcoming fixtures against Ajax and Qarabag could prove to be more fruitful for whomever is tasked with them.
Similarly, someone like a Fermin Lopez (€6.5m) or Marcus Rashford (€7m) could emerge as decent picks from the ranks of FC Barcelona, who have started their league campaign strongly after last season’s domestic treble and Champions League semi-final appearance. Rotation and Barca’s mixed opening fixtures – with Newcastle (A), PSG (H) and Chelsea (A) in their first five games – means they might be better in the ‘wait and see’ bucket for now, though, particularly given they’re unlikely to regularly usurp Raphinha (€9.5m) or Lamine Yamal (€10m) unless injuries are involved.
Dani Olmo (€7m) could also grab a few goal contributions for the Catalan club, provided he can stay fit, while elsewhere in La Liga there’s Athletic Club’s Inaki Williams (€7m) who has Qarabag (H) in Matchday 3 and Slavia Prague (A) in Matchday 5 but Arsenal (A) and BVB (A) to come before that.
We concluded our main watchlist with a pair of Serie A selections, but there are a few others from the Italian top flight who are worthy of consideration during the opening rounds of Champions League action. Calhanoglu’s Inter teammate Henrik Mkhitaryan (€6.5m) could be one, while Neapolitan hero and 2024/25 Serie A Player of the Season Scott McTominay (€7m) is another.
The Scottish star has just one goal in three league appearances so far this time around but looks to be building a solid partnership with new teammate Kevin De Bruyne (€8m). After they face KDB’s old club Manchester City on Matchday 1, Napoli are up against Sporting Lisbon (H), PSV Eindhoven (A), Eintracht Frankfurt (H), Qarabag (H), Benfica (A) and Copenhagen (A) in consecutive weeks. Those fixtures could also raise interest in someone like Frank Anguissa (€5.5m), who has a goal and two assists so far this season.
We notably haven’t mentioned any Bundesliga names thus far, but Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Malik Tillman (€6.5m) has a goal from his two league starts to date and faces Copenhagen (A) and PSV (H) in his first two fixtures. Even more prolific so far is Serge Gnabry (€6.5m), with two goals and two assists from three league appearances as Bayern’s second striker. He has Chelsea coming to visit first, but then relatively kinder fixtures against Pafos FC (A) and Club Brugge (H) before the tests of PSG (A) and Arsenal (A). The opening matches look a little tricky overall for Borussia Dortmund, but pacey winger Karim Adeyimi (€7m) managed five goals (two from outside the box), an assist and two penalties earned in less than 700 Champions League minutes last term.
We also haven’t even mentioned last season’s two highest-scoring midfielders in this price bracket, in PSG duo Joao Neves (€6m) and Vitinha (€7m). That’s largely because the cup holders rank near the bottom of our Ticker during the league phase, though both men did boss the ball recovery stats last season – Neves in particularly, with his 87 actions earning 24 extra points over the campaign – and each has scored in Ligue 1 already, including Neves netting a hat-trick a few weeks ago.
Heading back to the Premier League, Newcastle’s opening fixtures are a little mixed in terms of difficulty but Anthony Elanga – if he starts – or Anthony Gordon (both €7m) could do well against Saint-Gilloise (A) or Benfica (H) on Matchdays 2 and 3, if not during the Matchday 1 visit of Barca. A bit like the Chelsea situation it’s tough to guess Pep Guardiola’s line-ups, which – along with mediocre fixtures – probably takes players like Jeremy Doku (€7m), Savinho (€6.5m) and Oscar Bobb (€6m) out of the equation for now, while there are certainly better Fantasy assets from Liverpool than Ryan Gravenberch (€5.5m).
As for the cheaper viable options to begin with, Georgiy Sudakov (€5m) got two goals (one from outside the box), an assist, 22 ball recoveries and 2 PotM awards last season, and Benfica host Qarabag on Matchday 1 for what is only the Azerbaijani side’s second-ever Champions League group-stage campaign. Sudakov’s ever-present and equally-priced teammate Fredrik Aursnes (€5m), meanwhile, has scored already this season.
