Gameweek 9 presents numerous transfer dilemmas for Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers.
Based on fixtures, form and injuries, these players are currently experiencing significant transfer activity in and out:
Above: As of Tuesday morning, the most bought (left) and most sold (right) players ahead of Gameweek 9
But whether it’s a good idea or not remains open for debate.
Here, we share our thoughts on who to buy, keep and sell ahead of Friday’s deadline.
- READ MORE: FPL Gameweek 9 Bench Boost: Pros/cons + players to consider
- READ MORE: FPL Gameweek 9 Wildcard: Pros, cons + best drafts
JEAN-PHILIPPE MATETA
Jean-Philippe Mateta’s (£7.6m) 17-pointer sent shockwaves through the FPL community on Saturday, as he bagged an unlikely hat-trick against Bournemouth.
Remarkably, the Frenchman still fell short of his StatsBomb expected goals (xG) tally of 3.35:
Above: Jean-Philippe Mateta’s shot map v Bournemouth in Gameweek 8
Given his solid underlying numbers and penalties, Mateta is undoubtedly a ‘buy’; however, Gameweek 9 may not be the best entry point for him, as Crystal Palace will be playing away against Arsenal, a team that has conceded only three goals and five big chances in eight league matches this season.
Nevertheless, starting from Gameweek 10 (BRE/BHA/wol/MUN/bur/ful), buying Mateta feels like a bit of a no-brainer, even factoring in Palace’s European commitments.
VERDICT: BUY IN GAMEWEEK 10
JOAO PEDRO
Joao Pedro (£7.5m) got off to a superb start at Chelsea this season, with two goals and three assists in his first four matches, a period which saw him average 8.3 points per game.
Since then, however, his form has plummeted, as he has failed to score or assist in four successive outings.
What is even more alarming is his lack of goal threat: he has had only two shots over the last four Gameweeks, generating a measly 0.07 xG:
Above: Joao Pedro’s week-by-week shot tally (Attempts/Tot)
Pedro has at least produced five key passes for his teammates during that spell, yet anyone opting to offload the Brazilian this week can hardly be accused of acting impulsively, given that he’s been poor for quite some time now.
However, could this be a classic ‘hold’ situation, given that he is pretty much guaranteed to start against Sunderland on Saturday due to his midweek European ban?
Furthermore, with some decent fixtures ahead (SUN/tot/WOL/bur), Pedro is probably worth retaining this week, provided you haven’t transferred him out already.
For owners, let us hope Marc Guiu (£4.3m) is selected to spearhead the attack in Gameweek 9, as Pedro evidently performs much better in a No 10 position, a point that Neale addressed in his Scout Notes over the weekend.
VERDICT: KEEP FOR GAMEWEEK 9 – THEN REASSESS
BRYAN MBEUMO
Bryan Mbeumo (£8.0m) has arguably been Manchester United’s standout player this season.
He scored an early opener against Liverpool on Sunday, notably his first goal since Gameweek 3, but the underlying data indicates that the Cameroon international can excel in the upcoming period.
Among FPL midfielders, Mbeumo is second for Opta non-penalty expected goal involvement (xGI) this season, with 4.13.
He also ranks first among teammates for combined shots and key passes:
Up next for the corner-taking Mbeumo is a home clash against Brighton and Hove Albion, who are one of only three teams yet to keep a Premier League clean sheet in 2025/26.
In fact, Fabian Hurzeler’s side have shut out the opposition just once in their past 20 top-flight outings.
From his right-sided No 10 position, Mbeumo then faces Nottingham Forest in Gameweek 10, a team that ranks 18th for chances conceded from their left flank.
VERDICT: BUY
TIJJANI REIJNDERS
Off before the 60th minute on Saturday, Tijjani Reijnders (£5.7m) has now produced no goals and just one assist in seven matches.
On a positive note, ‘Pep roulette’ hasn’t affected him thus far. Reijnders has started every league match in 2025/26, but his playing time is decreasing week by week, which is far from ideal.
However, Reijnders undoubtedly still feels like first choice, particularly with Rodri (£6.3m) struggling to regain full fitness after injury.
His shot output also remains solid for £5.7m, with 17 goal attempts this season, the seventh-most of any midfielder.
That said, he has only hit the defensive contributions (DefCon) threshold once, and even then, he was somewhat fortunate, as his DefCon score was later adjusted to 11 after review.
If you have funds in the bank and can pivot to someone like Iliman Ndiaye (£6.5m) or perhaps Ismaila Sarr (£6.5m) in Gameweek 10, it might be preferable to sell Reijnders in light of Manchester City’s upcoming fixtures (avl/BOU/LIV/new). Nevertheless, it probably isn’t an immediate priority, at least for the time being.
VERDICT: SELL – BUT NOT A PRIORITY
MOHAMED SALAH
Another blank, another poor performance and a rare early substitution at a time when Liverpool needed a goal.
Regardless of the cause – whether it be a new attacking set-up, the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold, or simply age catching up with him – it’s just not happening for Mohamed Salah (£14.4m) right now.
The Reds’ form is a concern, too – they’ve now lost four matches in a row in all competitions, a period which has seen them score only three goals.
Given his hefty price tag, Salah’s inclusion in our FPL squads is becoming increasingly hard to justify, particularly given the drop-off in his underlying goal threat stats.
Salah’s goal threat stats per 90 minutes by season
| Season | Shots | Shots in box | Big chances | Penalty box touches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017/18 | 4.44 | 3.48 | 1.32 | 8.69 |
| 2018/19 | 3.78 | 2.62 | 0.80 | 8.88 |
| 2019/20 | 4.12 | 3.43 | 0.90 | 10.04 |
| 2020/21 | 3.68 | 2.86 | 0.96 | 9.11 |
| 2021/22 | 4.51 | 3.67 | 1.20 | 10.94 |
| 2022/23 | 3.42 | 2.84 | 0.93 | 9.11 |
| 2023/24 | 4.01 | 3.24 | 1.16 | 9.15 |
| 2024/25 | 3.47 | 3.18 | 1.23 | 10.53 |
| 2025/26 | 1.90 | 1.77 | 0.63 | 6.19 |
Salah obviously possesses the ability to haul against Brentford on Saturday, but if you have free transfers available and can redistribute funds accordingly, subsequently strengthening your squad overall, this may be the time to move him on.
VERDICT: SELL
VIKTOR GYOKERES
Summer arrival Viktor Gyokeres (£9.0m) has not scored since Gameweek 4, having blanked in each of his last four matches.
However, with Kai Havertz (£7.3m) and Gabriel Jesus (£6.4m) still coming back from injury, the Swedish striker will continue to get starts for table toppers Arsenal; he just desperately needs a goal to help ease the pressure.
He did at least manage three shots at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
“He was very close today again, two or three times. We were all begging for him to score. The work rate he puts in for the team is phenomenal, so we try to give him support and love and it will come.” – Mikel Arteta on Viktor Gyokeres
Given the current situation, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Gyokeres stepped up to take the next penalty.
Yes, there are probably better FPL forwards to own right now, like Nick Woltemade (£7.4m), but with Burnley and Sunderland in the next three Gameweeks, you can potentially afford to give him a bit longer.
VERDICT: KEEP
