It’s time to spotlight the goalkeepers available at £5.0m and £5.5m as we continue to dissect the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) 2025/26 price list.
OVERVIEW
Last season, and for the second season running, Everton’s Jordan Pickford (£5.5m) topped the goalkeepers in FPL points, finishing on an impressive 158 points, solidifying his position amongst the premium-priced keepers.
Pickford rises to the £5.5m price point alongside last year’s top-tier premiums, David Raya (£5.5m), Alisson (£5.5m) and Ederson (£5.5m). They returned 142, 112 and 111 points, respectively.
All in all, there are 12 first choices available between £5.0m and £5.5m.
Here are the ones who could be worth considering.
Jordan Pickford (£5.5m)
Pickford’s FPL record speaks for itself.
Last season, he didn’t just outscore every other goalkeeper – he outscored every defender too. Only 15 other players overall earned more points.
His reliability for Everton was clear to see, playing every minute of every Premier League game in 2024/25. He also managed 12 clean sheets, the second-highest in the whole league.
Combine that with his 122 saves (earning 26 save points), two penalty stops, and even an assist, and you’ve got one of the most dependable goalkeeper picks for next season’s FPL. The only drawback is his discipline, picking up seven yellow cards last season — the most of any keeper— though it’s a small concern compared to everything else he offers.
Everton have a favourable fixture list to start the season off with, too, facing newly promoted Leeds in Gameweek 1. Gameweek 2 sees their first league match at the new stadium, hosting Brighton — a fixture where the players will be desperate to mark the occasion in front of a packed Merseyside crowd.
With a solid defensive core and the experience of David Moyes at the helm, Everton are unlikely to be too leaky at the back, making Pickford a goalkeeper who deserves serious consideration yet again.
Let’s just hope the ‘early-season curse’ is not real…
Matz Sels (£5.0m)
The Belgian enjoyed an impressive debut season with Nottingham Forest, sharing the Golden Glove with David Raya (£5.5m) after keeping 13 clean sheets. He was a key figure in a Forest defence that conceded the joint-fifth fewest goals in the league. He also managed the second-highest FPL points tally for keepers, earning 150 points.
With 120 saves (27 save points) last season, he ranked among the top shot-stoppers in the league.
He played every minute, too, averaging 3.9 points per start: an outstanding record for someone who was £4.5m last season. Even though he’s risen in cost, he’s not been elevated to the off-putting £5.5m tier.
Nottingham Forest’s defence, anchored by Nikola Milenković (£5.5m) and Murillo (£5.5m), looks set to remain intact, and it’s been further strengthened by the arrival of young Brazilian Jair Cunha (£4.5m). Combined with Nuno Espírito Santo’s defensively robust approach, Sels shapes up to be another strong goalkeeper option for next season.
The Tricky Trees have, indeed, kept a league-best five clean sheets in pre-season.
What also could make him an attractive choice is Forest’s opening fixtures. They kick off at home against a Brentford side that looks weakened and face newly promoted Burnley and Sunderland within the first six Gameweeks – fixtures that offer decent clean sheet potential.
Competing in Europe could pose a new challenge for Forest but that’s maybe a worry for later in the season when the fixture congestion ramps up even more.
Robert Sánchez (£5.0m)
The Chelsea no.1 (for now…) might seem like a surprise pick but at this price, he could potentially be a value-for-money option.
Last season, he finished as the fifth-highest scoring goalkeeper with 126 FPL points, racking up 96 saves (21 save points) along the way.
Despite starting only 32 matches, he still managed 10 clean sheets and averaged 3.9 points per start during Chelsea’s fourth-place finish. That’s the same average as Sels.
Even though Sánchez has made some mistakes when playing out from the back, his shot-stopping ability remains impressive. He had a decent Club World Cup, too, earning the ‘goalkeeper of the tournament’ award and delivering a commanding performance in the final as Chelsea secured a 3-0 victory over PSG.
The transfer talk about a new goalkeeper has quietened, too; the Blues don’t seem to be searching for a replacement at the moment.
A fairly favourable run of opening fixtures (Gameweeks 1-4, Gameweeks 9-12) will also help the Spanish ‘keeper as he aims to gain confidence and consolidate his position for the season.
The less desirable?
TRICKY OPENING FIXTURES – AND LIVERPOOL’S PRE-SEASON DEFENSIVE WOES
David Raya (£5.5m) will no doubt be towards the top of the FPL goalkeeper points table by the end of 2025/26.
Arsenal were the strongest defence in the league last season, conceding just 34 goals, and Raya played a massive part in that. The Spanish man shared the Golden Glove award, keeping 13 clean sheets, and he played every minute of Premier League football for Arsenal.
But the Gunners’ tough opening schedule, which includes away trips to Manchester United, Liverpool, and Newcastle in the first six games, along with a home clash against Manchester City, should deter interest for now. One to consider on a Gameweek 7 Wildcard perhaps?
As for Alisson (£5.5m) and Liverpool, they have very strong clean sheet prospects against Burnley and Everton.
But with Newcastle, Arsenal, Chelsea and a new-look Man Utd attack to come in the first eight Gameweeks, it’s a mixed bag at best.
Crystal Palace, the team that just scored twice against the Reds at Wembley, are also in this fixture run. Given how ropey the Liverpool defence has looked in pre-season with their new full-back pairing, splashing the big bucks on Alisson – when he’s not going to compensate with defensive contribution (DC) points or attacking returns and saves won’t be as forthcoming – is maybe not advisable right now.
COMPETITION FOR PLACES
With Ederson (£5.5m) getting competition from James Trafford (£5.0m), it’s probably worth staying clear of the City goalkeepers for now. We *think* Ederson will retain his spot for the time being but even when he’s had an established number one, there are games when Pep Guardiola will field a deputy for no apparent reason!
There’s even more uncertainty at Newcastle United following the arrival of Aaron Ramsdale (£5.0m). Again, it may be Nick Pope‘s (£5.0m) shirt to lose but the initial fixtures are poor anyway, so there’s little upside in trying to second-guess Eddie Howe now.
Where there is a new manager, as there is with Thomas Frank at Spurs, there may be different personnel choices. We’re assuming Guglielmo Vicario (£5.0m) remains Frank’s number one but there has been plenty of (possibly baseless) chatter about Antonin Kinsky (£4.0m) over the summer, so it’s perhaps worth waiting to see what Frank does in the Super Cup on Wednesday.
INJURIES/SUSPENSIONS
Emiliano Martínez (£5.0m) doesn’t make the cut: the fact that he is suspended until Gameweek 2 is an obvious downside. He has also been linked with moves away to the likes of Manchester United but remains a Villan for now.
On the topic of Manchester United, goalkeeping duo of André Onana (£5.0m) and Altay Bayındır (£5.0m) are not desirable options. Although Onana did manage an impressive 120 FPL points last season, uncertainty about his future as the Red Devils’ No.1 – as well as his current injury flag – would dissuade most people. A difficult opening run of games against the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea is also a put-off.
THE OTHERS
Dean Henderson (£5.0m) is not undesirable per se, finishing last season as the fourth-highest scoring goalkeeper and starting every game for Crystal Palace.
But with question marks around Marc Guéhi’s (£4.5m) potential departure, a mixed bag of opening six fixtures and the added challenge of European commitments, there’s maybe enough doubt to stay away initially.
Regarding Bernd Leno (£5.0m), only the bottom three clubs kept fewer clean sheets than Fulham last season – although the underlying defensive numbers suggest the tally could improve this year.
POSITION-BY-POSITION PRICE ANALYSIS
Best £4.0m-£4.5m goalkeepers | Best £5.0m-£5.5m goalkeepers
Best £4.0m defenders | Best £4.5m defenders | Best £5.0m defenders | Best £5.5m+ defenders
Best £4.5m midfielders (coming soon) | Best £5.0m-£5.5m midfielders | Best £6.0m-£6.5m midfielders (coming soon) | Best £7.0m-£7.5m midfielders | Best £8.0m+ midfielders
Best £4.5m budget forwards | Best £5.0m-£5.5m forwards | Best £6.0m to £7.0m forwards | Best £7.5m+ forwards
