We’ve seen some memorable budget forwards in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) over the years – but will anyone emerge from the pack in 2025/26?
Jamie Vardy delivered 17 attacking returns from a £5.0m start a decade ago. Harry Kane racked up 191 points in the same season, from the same price. A £5.5m-rated Raul Jimenez (£6.5m) hit double figures for both goals and assists in 2018/19.
Last season, we saw Jorgen Strand Larsen (£6.5m), Joao Pedro (£7.5m) and Liam Delap (£6.5m) all score 10+ goals. Each of them started at £5.5m.
In this article, we hope – or had hoped – to identify the possible £5.0m and £5.5m gems for 2025/26.
At first glance, however, there really doesn’t seem to be too many stand-out options. There are a lot of back-ups, while there are reservations about the strikers coming up from the Championship.
Here’s a lowdown on all 21 players currently priced at £5.0m and £5.5m…
Joel Piroe (£5.5m)/Lukas Nmecha (£5.0m)
The uncertainty at Leeds United sums up the indifference about the £5.0m-£5.5m crop.
Will it be Joel Piroe (£5.5m), summer recruit Lukas Nmecha (£5.0m) or another, as yet-unannounced singing leading the line come Gameweek 1?
It’s all up in the air at the moment. Piroe has hit the ground running in pre-season, scoring three goals in behind-closed-doors friendlies against the mighty Verl and Paderborn. One of them was a spot-kick, too.
Nmecha has responded with two goals of his own in the same kickabouts.
Both could still feature in the same XI: while Piroe and Nmecha have generally shared game-time at the tip of the attack in pre-season so far, Piroe featured as more of a ’10’ in the Verl game behind teenage central striker Harry Gray. There’s a glimmer of hope for Piroe’s minutes, then, even if another new forward arrives.
Piroe was the English second tier’s top goalscorer in 2024/25, although this was the first time in over 20 years of the Championship’s existence that someone achieved that feat with fewer than 20 goals. An ever-present starter in the league this calendar year, perhaps it’s his shirt to lose.
As for Nmecha, you can read more about the June signing here – but in a nutshell, injury has decimated the last few years of the once-promising striker’s career. He has seven caps for the Germany national team, indeed, but none since 2022. Can he stay fit in new surroundings?
To summarise, then, we likely won’t be able to make a confident call on the best Leeds forward until the transfer window closes after Gameweek 3. Until then, the remaining friendlies against Villarreal and AC Milan are worth paying close attention to.
Eliezer Mayenda (£5.5M)
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