Article written by @soumyadut(Do follow) on the “Best £5 & £5.5 Million FPL Midfielders” for the 2023/24 FPL Season
Like many, I am fascinated by the world of superheroes. They come when we need them the most, solve our problems, and disappear into the mundane walks of life only to reappear when the world needs them again. As a kid, my first exposure to this fantasy world was through Spiderman. And hence, whenever I feel the need to boost me through a tough day in the office, a sticky spot at home or a rough patch in life in general, I lean on to one my favourite dialogues from a Spiderman movie. But it wasn’t the web-boy who delivers it in the movie; but it was his friend Gwen Stacy:
“It’s easy to feel hopeful on a beautiful day like today, but there will be dark days ahead of us too. There will be days where you feel all alone, and that’s when hope is needed most. No matter how buried it gets, or how lost you feel, you must promise me that you will hold on to hope. Keep it alive.”
Although I hail from a cricket-crazy country like India, the reason why I love football is, football gives hope…hope to overcome the unthinkable. Camp Nou ’99 UCL final, Istanbul ’05 UCL final, EPL ’12 final “Aguerooo” matchday…the examples are countless. And so, when the football season ends in May every year, I try to find solace in the hope buried in the little corner of my heart as every passing day brings us a step closer to the start of the new season. And finally, the 23-24 season is upon us. Hurrah!!
Hello and welcome to one of the many pre-season articles of your favorite blog AllAboutFPL. I am Soum a marketeer by profession but a football maniac by passion and today I will talk about midfielders. Because of the huge spectrum of these species in FPL, I have classified them into three categories: –
- Budget (£4.5 m – 5.5 m)
- Mid-Premium (£6.0 m – 7.5 m)
- Premium (£8.0 m – 12.5 m)
In this article, I will cover the budget category as they will be the enablers to get the big guns like Salah, Haaland, Kane, and Trent. So, let’s dive straight in
Link to all our 2023/24 Pre-Season articles including all team pre-season friendly updates, team previews, fixture analysis, position-wise analysis, differentials, players to target, budget enablers and more. Completely free to access as well!
Link to all our FPL Midfielders analysis blogs including 4.5 midfielders, 5-5.5 midfielders, 6-7.5 Million Midfielders, and 8 to 12.5 Million midfielders in one place!
Best £4.5 Million FPL Midfielders
To put it crisply, FPL HQ has probably decided to keep this price band only for deadwood bench fodders (like £4.5 m FWD or £4.0 m GK). Marvelous Nakamba is the only one to be guaranteed to play regularly at 4.5 Million following his permanent move to Luton Town from Aston Villa.
A detailed article on the potential 4.5 Million FPL Midfielders!
Best £5.0 Million FPL Midfielders
This is the new £4.5 m. Get used to it. And this is where it gets interesting as our options increase
Alejandro Garnacho (Man United)
Man United youngster Garnacho could be a decent 5.0 Million option to begin the season. He’s had a great pre-season and is the first-choice player on the LW to begin the season as Rashford is most likely to play the forward role with new signing Hojlund carrying a minor injury and Martial only returning to training now after missing the whole of pre-season.
He was excellent in Man United’s last full-strength friendly against Lens and picked up a super assist!
One con is that he might lose his starting spot once Hojlund/Martial are fit and Rashford gets shifted to the LW.
Jefferson Lerma (Crystal Palace)
Lerma racked up 37 starts and 101 points last season for Bournemouth. Since making his Bournemouth debut in September 2018, Lerma’s 51 yellow cards are the most of any player in the Premier League or Championship. And how Palace missed a destructor in midfield who can provide so much defensive assurance that it would allow Palace’s attackers the licence to flood forward and express themselves. A quick look at the table below exposes how Palace struggled last season without the midfield trio of James McArthur, Cheikhou Kouyate, and Conor Gallagher from 21/22
| Crystal Palace | Goals Scored | Goals Conceded |
| 21/22 | 50 | 46 |
| 22/23 | 40 | 49 |
Lerma is expected to form the double pivot with Cheick Doucoure. But Lerma is more than just a deep-lying midfielder. He also can strike a shot or two from range as evident from his five league goals last term.
(Click on the image above to claim the offer).
João Palhinha & Harrison Reed (Fulham)
Update: Palhinha is injured and will not be fit for GW1
Fulham surprised many when they finished in the Top Half last season after getting promoted. Had their talisman Mitrovic not been suspended for 8 matches, they might have clinched a European spot too. And a big share of the credit goes to the dazzling duo of Palinha and Reed. There’s not much to choose from between them.
| Fulham – 22/23 | Paulinha | Reed |
| Starts | 35 | 35 |
| Points | 83 | 107 |
| Mins | 3108 | 2868 |
| Goals Scored | 3 | 3 |
| Assists | 0 | 4 |
| Bonus | 5 | 9 |
| BPS | 379 | 409 |
| XG | 2.93 | 1.95 |
| XA | 0.39 | 2.04 |
| XGI | 3.32 | 3.99 |
While Paulinha assures more minutes, Reed is the slightly more attacking of the two. So, take your pick as per your risk appetite. There were rumours linking Paulinha to the likes of Man Utd, Barcelona, and West Ham, but it looks less likely that he will leave.
Update: Palhinha is injured and will not be fit for GW1
Further Read: Best £4.0 Million FPL Defenders For The 2023/24 FPL Season
Josh Brownhill (Burnley)
Under the tutelage of Vincent Kompany, Burnley returned to the Premier League at the first attempt, scoring 85 goals (highest in the championship for 22-23) and won the title as well. Brownhill started a staggering 41 matches in the league (highest for Burnley) and scored seven goals and supplied a further eight assists. In the last two seasons when Burnley played in EPL, Brownhill managed more than 2800 mins on both the occasions…so he has the tenacity to manage consistent starts for the team.
Pre-Season form: Brownhill has been in good form during the pre- season friendlies.
Summary of Burnley Friendlies (Goals/Assists)
Burnley Pre-Season Goal + Assists:
- Josh Brownhill ⚽️⚽️⚽️(5.0 million mid in FPL)
- Owen Dodgson ⚽️
- Jay Rodriguez ⚽️
- Jez Davies ⚽️
- Michael Mellon ⚽️
- Joe Westley ⚽️
- Basilio Rieno Socoliche ⚽️
- Jordan Beyer ⚽️ (4.0 Million defender)
- Ameen Al-Dakhil A (4.0 Million defender)
- Scott Twine ⚽️A
- Townsend A
- Ekdal ⚽️
- Dara Costelloe ⚽️
No assists data available from the first four Burnley pre-season games
Further Read: Initial GW1 Drafts for the 2023/24 FPL Season with Pros & Cons
Players who are worth keeping tabs in terms of pre-season friendlies or transfers (in alphabetical order):
- Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United)
- Anass Zaroury (Burnley)
- Cole Palmer (Manchester City)
- Dango Ouattara(Bournemouth)
- Enzo Fernández (Chelsea)
- Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth)
- Moisés Caicedo (Brighton & Hove Albion)
- Sander Berge (Burnley)
Further Read: List of Free to Join Prize FPL Mini Leagues Ahead of 23/24 Season
Best £5.5 Million FPL Midfielders
This is the price range that allows you to stretch your muscles a little. You can start looking at the relatively bigger clubs
Andreas Pereira (Fulham)
We start the 5.5 Million FPL midfielders list by Presenting to you the Lundstram of last season – Andreas. While at Man Utd, the Brazilian was called Andreas Pirlo of pre-season as he always shone brightly in the pre-season friendlies (evidence is this wonder goal against Brentford in 2021). But somehow in EPL, he never got his minutes, and if he did, he didn’t stand out in the famous red jersey.
In 2022, he went to Fulham and made a mockery of his £4.5 m price tag in FPL before getting injured in the first of the two matches in DGW34 and consequently missing the rest of the season. Till GW33, Pereira’s numbers were staggering to say the least
| Among MF priced £5.5 m or below | Andreas (GW 1 – 33) |
| Appearances | 2nd |
| Minutes | 5th |
| xPoints | 2nd |
| Points | 1st |
| xG | 3rd |
| xA | 2nd |
| Assists | 1st |
| xGI | 2nd |
| GI | 1st |
| Big Chances | 3rd |
| Shots | 2nd |
| Shots on Target | 1st |
| Big Chances Created | 3rd |
| Key Passes | 1st |
He might have lost a little bit of an appeal as he is no longer the £4.5 m darling. But with both Mitrovic and his full fitness back, Andreas can once again wreak havoc. At least have him on your watchlist for the first four GWs.
Note: Andreas has not been involved in pre-season games for Fulham yet due to a knock/minor injury concern.
Mathias Jensen (Brentford)
Jensen started 37 out of the 38 games for Brentford last season scoring an astonishing 132 points courtesy of 5 goals and 7 assists. In fact, his numbers look even more staggering when compared to midfielders priced at £5.5 m or below
| Among MF priced £5.5 m or below | Jensen |
| Starts | 2nd |
| Points | 2nd |
| Goals Scored | 5th |
| Assists | 3rd |
| XA | 2nd |
5 out of the first 7 Brentford’s fixtures have an FDR of 2. Jensen can be a gem of an enabler to gain an early lead in your mini-leagues.
Further Read: FPL Rotational Pairs & Combinations for the 2023/24 FPL Season
Arnaut Danjuma
Danjuma at 5.5 Million could be another decent option to consider from Everton, The former Villarreal attacker has Champions League experience and is a proven goal scorer. In the successful 21/22 season for Villarreal, he scored 6 goals in 10 champions league games and a further 10 goals + 3 assists in 23 La Liga fixtures. He has the ability to play upfront as well and with DCL yet to play any pre-season game he could well start the season as Everton’s forward and could also be on penalties.
Danjuma in the 21/22 season for Villarreal:
Danjuma’s penalty record in the 21/22 season:
Further Read: FPL Fixture Analysis For The 2023/24 FPL Season | PL Fixtures
Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa)
Ever since signing from Manchester City, Douglas Luiz has missed only 12 league matches for Aston Villa across 4 seasons thus speaking of his stamina to carry through uninjured. However, his breakthrough season came only last year when he truly announced himself
| Among MF priced £5.5 m or below | Douglas Luiz |
| Appearances | 2nd |
| Points | 1st |
| Bonus | 1st |
| BPS | 4th |
| Goals Scored | 2nd |
| Assists | 3rd |
| GI | 2nd |
| Big Chances Created | 4th |
The only issue can be the risk of minutes with so many options available to Emery.
Julio Enciso (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Update: Enciso’s minutes have been limited all of pre-season and he might not be a guaranteed starter for Brighton
Enciso is expected to take over Mac Allister’s role as the new Brighton No 10. He was listed as a FWD last season and played less than 800 mins. Albeit in a small sample size, the numbers look encouraging and gives us the confidence (or is it hope?) that Enciso might have it in him to fill the big boots of Mac Allister
| Mac Allister | Enciso | |
| Starts | 31 | 7 |
| Mins | 2882 | 794 |
| Goals | 10 | 4 |
| Assists | 2 | 3 |
| GI/ Start | 0.39 | 1.00 |
| GI/ 90 | 0.37 | 0.79 |
Players who are worth keeping tabs on in terms of pre-season friendlies or transfers (in alphabetical order):
- Alex Iwobi (Everton)
- Danjuma (Everton), £5.5m, could play OOP as a forward if DCL is not fit
- Anthony Gordon(Newcastle)
- Danilo (Nottingham Forest)
- Marcus Tavernier (Bournemouth)
- Noni Madueke (Chelsea)
- Phil Billing(Bournemouth)
We will keep the blog updated if there are better £5 & £5.5 Million FPL Midfielders emerge after the pre-season games and the transfer window. Don’t forget to save/bookmark the link.
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Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW1 of the 2023/24 FPL Season
Pre-Season Friendlies Updates & Fixtures
2023/24 FPL Pre Season: All Clubs Friendlies Fixtures & Updates
2023/24 Pre Season Summary of All 20 Premier League Teams
FPL GW1 Must Read Articles:
FPL GW1 Scout Picks Based On Stats, Analysis, And Matchups
2023/24 Season: Predicted GW1 Lineups of All 20 PL Teams
Top FPL GW1 Differential Picks To Consider Ahead Of GW1 Deadline
FPL GW1 Team Reveal & Strategy – AllAboutFPL
FPL GW1 Tips & Preview – Breaking Down The Key Dilemmas
FPL Players And Teams To Target From FPL Gameweek 1 To 6
Drafts for FPL GW1:
FPL Gameweek 1 Drafts with Haaland + Salah and Trent Trio
FPL GW1 Drafts with 3-4-3 Formation | 2023/24 FPL Season
Initial GW1 Drafts for the 2023/24 Season with Pros and Cons
Top FPL GW1 Differential Picks to Consider Ahead of GW1 Deadline
Four Players Who Have Never Left My FPL GW1 Draft
FPL GW1 Team Reveal & Strategy – AllAboutFPL
FPL Goalkeepers Analysis:
Best FPL Goalkeepers to Target For The 2023/24 FPL Season
Best FPL Goalkeepers at Each Price Point for the 2023/24 Season
FPL Rotational Pairs and Combinations- Defenders and Goal Keepers
2023/24 FPL Season Positional Analysis:
Defenders:
Best £4.0 Million FPL Defenders For The 2023/24 FPL Season
Best £4.5 Million FPL Defenders for the 2023/24 FPL Season
Best £5-£5.5 Million FPL Defenders for the 2023/24 FPL Season
FPL Rotational Pairs and Combinations- Defenders and Goal Keepers
Midfielders:
£4.5 Million FPL Midfielders Watchlist for the 2023/24 FPL Season
Best £5 & £5.5 Million FPL Midfielders For The 2023/24 FPL Season
Best £6.0 -£7.5 Million FPL Midfielders | 2023/24 Season
Mbeumo vs Mitoma vs Eze vs Diaby- 6.5. FPL Midfielders Comparison and Verdict
Best Premium FPL Midfielders (£8.0 -£12.5 Million) | 23/24 Season
Forwards:
Best Mid-Priced FPL Forwards (£7.0 – £8.0m) | 2023/24 Season
Best FPL Forwards in The £6.0 & £6.5M Price Bracket
Best FPL Budget Forwards (£4.5 – £5.5 Million) | 23/24 Season
Ultimate Guide & FPL Calendar:
Ultimate FPL Pre-Season Guide & Tips for the 2023/24 Season
2023/24 FPL Season Schedule: Key Dates, Information & Timeline
Fixture Analysis:
FPL Fixture Analysis For The 2023/24 FPL Season | PL Fixtures
General FPL Blogs:
FPL Team Structure Guide- 6 Different Team Structures with Drafts, Pros and Cons
Premier League Penalty & Set Piece Takers | 2023/24 PL Season
Best FPL Picks Outside Top 6 Teams | 2023/24 FPL Season
FPL Differentials- Players To Watch Ahead Of The 2023/24 Season
FPL Budget Enablers(Top Budget Picks Position wise)
Under Priced FPL Assets from Big 6 Teams
Best Differential FPL Team For The 2023-2024 Season
Players to Avoid in FPL Ahead of FPL Gameweek 1
Initial Reaction to FPL Player Price Reveals for the 2023/24 FPL Season
List of Free to Join Prize FPL Mini Leagues Ahead of 23/24 Season
FPL Tips and Best Practices to Have an Enjoyable FPL Season
FPL Team ID- What is it? How to get a Low Team ID for 2023/24 FPL Season
Best FPL Team Names for the 2023/24 FPL Season
If you’re new to FPL, here is a link to all our FPL Beginners Guide including FPL Beginner’s Guide- How to play?, Bench boost, Team value, Triple captain, Effective ownership, Price Changes, Free Hit, Bonus Points, and more.
Link to all our 2023/24 Pre-Season articles including all team pre-season friendly updates, team previews, fixture analysis, position-wise analysis, and more. Completely free to access as well!
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