In his latest article, three-time top 200 finisher Lateriser debates over which midfielder he should buy for Gameweek 19. Rayan Cherki (£6.7m) and Anthony Gordon (£7.4m) stand out, but are there any other midfielders that merit consideration?
And just like that, the final Gameweek of 2025 is here. Even if you’re hovering around the one million mark at this stage, I wouldn’t worry too much, as ranks are incredibly tight. The right player or two over the next few Gameweeks could lead to a jump in rank, and we have many picks that will help us diverge. We even have a whole half of chips and Double Gameweeks to go. Don’t worry and enjoy what is left of the season!
A lot of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers are in the market for a midfielder right now. I have three free transfers and I’m scouting potential defenders as well as midfielders. If you have a direct route to Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.3m), I wouldn’t hesitate to make the move, as I think the Aston Villa game is crucial and despite Mikel Arteta’s load management comment, I think that he’s going to be in the starting XI and not look back now. He was a top-two Fantasy pick earlier in the campaign, and I really don’t expect that to change.
I am currently looking to replace Yankuba Minteh (£6.0m) despite his incredible next two fixtures (whu/BUR), as I’ve owned him for a while and have just found him to be playing very wide. A lot of FPL managers have Antoine Semenyo (£7.7m) as well, which is why I thought this article would be interesting.
WHY I’M SELLING MINTEH
Yes, Minteh was good against Arsenal, but I thought that was a different shape, and the last few games that I’ve been watching him, he’s been way too wide for my liking, with Mats Wieffer (£4.9m) making more of the inside runs. But I do have to play devil’s advocate and mention that he wasn’t as wide against Arsenal when he came on, and Kaoru Mitoma’s (£6.1m) return could add to Minteh’s appeal.
That said, I am still hovering around 900k, sitting on three free transfers and I’m feeling itchy to make some moves with a couple of targets on my mind. It is worth noting Fabian Hurzeler’s comments, which do give me a little pause, but I do expect Minteh to come back into the starting XI after his second-half performance against Arsenal.
“Yes, he definitely had an impact on the game. I think he still can do better, not only offensively, but especially defensively. He needs to get a better understanding what it means to help the team. I always try to give an understanding for the people outside. They always see the player Yankuba but there’s a person with private issues, who maybe goes through a difficult period. So, of course, they always want the players to perform at the highest level, but in the end there’s the person behind them. We have to take care of this person as well.
“I think when a player doesn’t perform on their highest level, you need to get an understanding why it is like this. It’s the same with Carlos Baleba and therefore we always have to support the player. We have to find a way to get to get him back to his highest level and we are in exchanges with him. We have a very trustful relationship with him, and now it’s about us and about him getting back to his very best level.” – Fabian Hurzeler on Yankuba Minteh
BEST MIDFIELDERS TO BUY
Now, which midfielder to go for is quite the predicament. I already own Matheus Cunha (£8.1m); otherwise, he would be high on my Watchlist. Let us first have a look at some midfielder data.
Bukayo Saka (£10.3m) is at the top, which tells us just how much he’s been underperforming, but I have a feeling an explosion is very much imminent.
I already own Igor Thiago (£7.0m) and Kevin Schade’s (£7.0m) fixtures turn sour fairly soon, so I am not looking at him as an option.
Cunha’s numbers are encouraging, and with his short-term fixtures, minutes and potential penalties in the locker, I really like him as a pick.
The two I am genuinely weighing up as replacements for Minteh at the moment are Cherki and Gordon. I would be interested in Florian Wirtz (£8.2m) as well, but he’s a bit too expensive for my plans, as I am being mindful of funding Gabriel in my team.
CHERKI OR GORDON?
Cherki has made a real impression for Manchester City and looks like their most important creative player at the moment. His minutes are looking increasingly promising, too. That said, Jeremy Doku (£6.4m) isn’t fit at the moment, and there’s an impending Semenyo transfer as well. I’m not quite sure what the impact of these players on Cherki will be, but the price is incredibly attractive, and he affords a lot more in your FPL team than his current cost. He looks like a vital cog for Pep Guardiola, who has a rather interesting relationship with him.
“There are moments that I just want to shout at him and there are moments I want to kiss him. I have to allow him to express his incredible talent.” – Pep Guardiola on Rayan Cherki
I currently own triple Manchester City, and getting Cherki would mean a Nico O’Reilly-sized (£5.3m) sacrifice, but again, I reiterate, his price is just so attractive.
The other player I am looking at is Gordon. He looked really impressive in the last two games (Eddie Howe thought so, too!), but Newcastle United fans don’t seem to be particularly fond of him, having spoken to a couple of them, as well as scouring the forums.
Anthony Elanga (£6.5m) is injured, which makes me think Gordon’s minutes aren’t the worst, even with Harvey Barnes (£6.1m) and Jacob Murphy (£6.0m) lurking. He does feel the most explosive from all of the above midfield picks, particularly given his fixtures. He also has penalties in his locker and five big chances in the last six matches, which is encouraging.
His minutes are certainly questionable but Howe’s comments are quite promising.
“I thought he was probably our brightest player in attack today. I thought Anthony played well. I thought he was direct and full of running. I was pleased with his individual performance. Yes, the goal wasn’t there. We need more goalmouth creation and action, and to be more clinical in front of goal.” – Eddie Howe on Anthony Gordon
GORDON (LEFT) V CHERKI (RIGHT) – LAST SIX GAMEWEEKS
When comparing the data between Gordon and Cherki, it is clear that Gordon has a lot more goal threat, with him getting five big chances to Cherki’s zero. However, Cherki’s assist potential and price are far more attractive. Cherki does have a decent number of shots in the box, but they aren’t quite as clear-cut as the chances Gordon is getting.
For more, I was reunited with my pod Partner Zophar on this week’s episode of The FPL Wire, which you can watch here.
