As we approach Gameweek 22, transfer activity in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) remains high.
Based on fixtures, form, injuries and bans, these players have been bought and sold the most.
| Player | Transfers in (round) | Player | Transfers out (round) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Igor Thiago | 437,524 | Phil Foden | 359,740 |
| Gabriel Magalhaes | 352,146 | Hugo Ekitike | 320,446 |
| Bruno Guimaraes | 319,294 | Antoine Semenyo | 228,615 |
| Harry Wilson | 308,816 | Josko Gvardiol | 190,262 |
| Declan Rice | 287,459 | Matheus Cunha | 187,693 |
| Dominic Calvert-Lewin | 219,647 | Ruben Dias | 152,632 |
| Bruno Fernandes | 201,369 | Rayan Cherki | 138,481 |
| Morgan Rogers | 170,938 | Jarrod Bowen | 123,053 |
| Antoine Semenyo | 127,874 | Mohammed Kudus | 120,648 |
| OIlie Watkins | 110,763 | Michael Keane | 117,264 |
Above: As of Tuesday morning, the most bought (left) and most sold (right) players heading into Gameweek 22
But whether it’s a good idea remains open to debate.
Here, we share our thoughts on who to buy, keep and sell in Gameweek 22.
- READ MORE: Best Michael Keane replacements in FPL
- READ MORE: Why I have hit the Wildcard button
ANTOINE SEMENYO
Owned by over 43% of managers, Antoine Semenyo (£7.6m) is the second-most popular player in FPL.
During his time at Bournemouth this season, the Ghanaian has racked up 10 goals and three assists in 20 starts.
But after his £64m move to Manchester City, Fantasy managers now face a tough buy, keep or sell decision. This is reflected in the transfers in (127,874) and out (228,615) columns.
Playing for a City team that leads the way for both actual (45) and expected goals (xG, 40.2), Semenyo’s points-scoring potential is clear. Indeed, in just 64 minutes of football playing off the left against Exeter City on Saturday, he banked a debut goal and two assists (one Opta/one Fantasy).
However, with Phil Foden (£8.7m), Rayan Cherki (£6.8m) and Jeremy Doku (£6.4m) also capable of playing on the flanks, as well as Omar Marmoush (£8.3m), who is currently at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Egypt, Semenyo may need to be patient.
And even if he can secure regular starts, Semenyo will have to get accustomed to competing for his place. Substitutions are also likely to occur around the 70-to-75-minute mark.
There are some appealing replacements out there, such as Enzo Fernandez (£6.4m), Declan Rice (£7.3m), Bruno Guimaraes (£7.2m) and Morgan Rogers (£7.6m).
But with Pep Guardiola, one can never be entirely certain of what lies ahead.
For example, Marmoush featured in City’s first five Premier League starting XI’s following his arrival from Germany last year. He averaged 74.6 minutes per appearance in doing so. So, already armed with top-flight experience, Semenyo could very easily be thrown straight into the Gameweek 22 line-up.
After that, Wolverhampton Wanderers will visit the Etihad Stadium. This is a key reason why we’re reluctant to classify Semenyo as a straightforward sell, especially before Tuesday’s EFL Cup semi-final, which could potentially provide insights regarding the derby starting XI.
VERDICT: KEEP, BUT REASSESS AFTER TUESDAY’S EFL CUP SEMI-FINAL
PHIL FODEN
Another City midfielder, Phil Foden, is on the chopping block for many Fantasy managers.
More than 359,000 FPL bosses have sold him ahead of Gameweek 22, following a run of five blanks.
Prior to that, Foden had plundered six goals and one assist in four Gameweeks.
This decline in form/output has coincided with City’s team-wide slump in front of goal.
During Gameweeks 13-16, i.e. Foden’s purple patch, Pep’s team netted 14 goals from an expected goals (xG) tally of 8.88. That resulted in a positive delta of +5.12. Conversely, in the past five matches, City have managed to score only seven goals from an xG of 9.37, reflecting an underperformance of 2.37.
Foden hasn’t enjoyed a single big chance during his recent run of blanks, but he continues to take shots in/around the penalty spot, albeit not as close to goal as before.
Above: Phil Foden’s shot map in Gameweeks 13-16 (left) and Gameweeks 17-21 (right)
Crucially, over the season, Foden has been one of City’s standout players.
A potential switch to Bruno Fernandes (£9.1m) could surely wait then, particularly with the Manchester derby followed by a home encounter with Wolves.
Owners can then reassess ahead of Gameweek 24, when City face back-to-back trips to Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.
VERDICT: KEEP
MATHEUS CUNHA
Manchester United’s Matheus Cunha (£8.2m) is the fifth-most sold player of Gameweek 22 so far.
In Gameweeks 15-17, the Brazilian netted two goals and provided an assist across three matches, amassing a league-high 22 shots.
However, Cunha’s favourable run of fixtures (WOL/lee/bur) has now come to an end, a period in which 28 other FPL midfielders outscored him.
Although he did find the net against Leeds United at the turn of the year, not much else has come off for Cunha. And with Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo (£8.1m) now re-joining the squad, he is arguably the third-best United midfielder to own. The decision to sell him feels much easier.
This is especially true when you factor in the upcoming fixtures against Man City and Arsenal.
The return of Fernandes and Mbeumo will naturally make United a better team, but given the management instability and Cunha’s recent poor form, switching him out before the Manchester derby appears justified.
VERDICT: SELL
OLLIE WATKINS
Ollie Watkins (£8.8m) has been one of Aston Villa’s best performers since the start of December.
The England international has scored six goals and provided two assists across eight matches, outscoring every other FPL forward except Erling Haaland (£15.1m) and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m).
That’s despite averaging just 74.1 minutes per appearance.
However, the underlying data indicates that Watkins can excel in the upcoming matches, even factoring in a few early substitutions.
Among FPL forwards over the last eight Gameweeks, Watkins is joint-top for big chances (12) and second for shots (24).
Those who have watched Watkins regularly will be aware that he misses his fair share of big chances (seven in his last eight matches, the same as Haaland for what it’s worth). However, he consistently gets into good shooting locations, which is a quality in itself.
Rested for Saturday’s FA Cup win over Spurs, Watkins now faces Everton at home, who will be without the suspended Michael Keane (£4.8m).
Looking further ahead, Villa won’t face a current top-four opponent until Gameweek 37, so with a World Cup place up for grabs, Watkins could be a very decent acquisition.
VERDICT: BUY
JARROD BOWEN
Another forward, Jarrod Bowen (£7.7m), has now blanked in four of his last five matches, as West Ham United continue to underwhelm under Nuno Espirito Santo.
During that period, he has racked up a respectable 12 shots, yet only three of those attempts have actually hit the target.
With just two chances created alongside a low 0.27 expected assists (xA), there has been a lack of assist potential to fall back on, too.
With Spurs away next, followed by Burnley in Gameweek 25, Bowen clearly isn’t a priority sell.
He may also take on penalty duties if Lucas Paqueta (£5.9m) successfully transfers to another club this month.
However, given West Ham’s misfiring attack, if you can move off Bowen and subsequently reinvest the funds elsewhere, that might be the way to go.
VERDICT: SELL, BUT NOT A PRIORITY
