The Scout pinpoints the key lessons and hidden gems that have emerged for each team over pre-season, to help Fantasy Premier League managers finalise their squads.
Arsenal
New forward Viktor Gyokeres (£9.0m) made his debut off the bench as Arsenal lost to fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong at the end of July. Whether he’s fully up to speed in time for Gameweek 1 remains to be seen, but Gyokeres’s arrival is likely to mean that Kai Havertz (£7.5m) drops back into midfield, despite registering two assists as a striker during a pre-season win over Newcastle United.
William Saliba (£6.0m) and Ben White (£5.5m) lead the way for pre-season minutes so far, just ahead of Havertz. New centre-back Cristhian Mosquera (£4.5m) made a brief debut against Spurs but may not see much early-season action, with Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.0m), Riccardo Calafiori (£5.5m) and Jurrien Timber (£5.5m) all now expected to be fit in time for Gameweek 1. Even if Calafiori is fit, Myles Lewis-Skelly (£5.5m) should start the season at left-back, having featured more heavily in pre-season.
Leandro Trossard (£7.0m) appeared to pick up a muscular issue against Spurs and needs to be assessed, Arteta said post-match, while Bukayo Saka (£10.0m) also looked to have taken a knock before going off in that game. Saka had previously proved the difference-maker in the Gunners’ opening pre-season win over AC Milan.
New signing Noni Madueke (£7.0m) did not play during Arsenal's pre-season tour of Asia, having been given time off after being at the FIFA Club World Cup with former club Chelsea.
Aston Villa
Villa are yet to keep a pre-season clean sheet in four attempts but their defence showed marked improvement towards the end of last season. England international Ezri Konsa (£4.5m) is proving a popular pick, sitting in just under a quarter of FPL teams, but Tyrone Mings (£4.5m), Pau Torres (£4.5m) and Lucas Digne (£4.5m) have more pre-season minutes under their belts to date.
The versatile Lamare Bogarde (£4.0m) - one of the cheapest defenders available in FPL - has the most minutes of any Villa player so far, including some minutes in central midfield.
Ollie Watkins (£9.0m) - one of only two players in Europe’s top five leagues to rack up 50+ goals and 25+ assists over the last three seasons - has netted goals in each of his two brief pre-season outings so far; as has Morgan Rogers (£7.0m).
Another top performer so far in pre-season is Donyell Malen (£5.5m). The Dutch winger, who is also capable of playing up front, registered assists for three of the four goals scored by Watkins and Rogers, and could see increased game time this season now there is less competition for attacking spots.
Bournemouth
Djordje Petrovic (£4.5m) has emerged as Bournemouth’s likely first-choice goalkeeper following his arrival from Chelsea. After a solid loan spell at Strasbourg last season, the Serbia international has been preferred by Andoni Iraola to Neto (£4.5m) during the Premier League Summer Series in the United States.
Adrien Truffert (£4.5m) has arrived from Ligue 1’s Rennes and the early evidence from pre-season and his past suggests he'll combine solid defensive work with a penchant for crossing. The left-back also netted a brace in a friendly win over Bristol City, showcasing his ability to score chances as well as creating them for others. Cheap defender James Hill (£4.0m) has racked up the most pre-season minutes of any Bournemouth player but may not be a regular starter once the main action commences, unless someone like Illia Zabarnyi (£5.0m) leaves the Vitality Stadium.
Central midfielder Philip Billing (£5.0m) has returned from his six-month loan with Serie A winners Napoli and could be a decent budget option if he can build on his pre-season goals.
Brentford
The Bees have only played one pre-season match so far, a 1-1 draw with Gil Vicente in Portugal. New goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher (£4.5m) has emerged as one of FPL’s most popular selections in his position. Kelleher got 45 minutes on his debut as new head coach Keith Andrews fielded a brand-new XI at the break.
That match also featured promising shifts for Michael Kayode (£4.5m), Rico Henry (£4.5m) and Aaron Hickey (£4.0m). The latter duo performed well on their returns from long-term injuries, meaning the full-back positions are worth monitoring for some potential bargains. Until Andrews’ first-choice XI takes shape, though, it’s hard to look past centre-back Nathan Collins (£5.0m), who last season delivered nine attacking returns and plenty of defensive contributions.
Mikkel Damsgaard (£6.0m), who finished 2024/25 with 10 league assists, set up Igor Thiago (£6.0m) in Brentford’s pre-season opener against Gil Vicente. Thiago, who missed most of last season with knee issues, had a few other chances in that match and could be a new source of attacking points with Bryan Mbeumo gone. Youngster Antoni Milambo (£5.5m) might also be one to keep an eye on.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton have won each of their pre-season outings to date - against Wycombe Wanderers, Stoke City, Las Palmas and Coventry City - by between two and five goals, and boast a few new defensive players who could offer good value.
Maxim De Cuyper (£4.5m) may prove to be excellent value for money if the Belgian left-back can emulate his attacking form with previous club Club Brugge. He should be first choice in his position, too, now that Pervis Estupinan has departed, though Ferdi Kadioglu (£4.5m) - back from injury - may provide some competition. Elsewhere, Jason Steele (£4.5m) could start the season in goal unless Bart Verbruggen (£4.5m) recovers from injury in time.
Danny Welbeck (£6.5m) looks set to lead the line for Brighton. He scored four goals against Wycombe, and is now the Seagulls' possible first-choice penalty-taker. Georginio Rutter (£6.0m) is back from injury and has featured up front at times while playing the most pre-season minutes in the squad.
Burnley
Burnley have won two and drawn two pre-season matches so far, including a 1-1 match against Wolverhampton Wanderers, in which the returning Jacob Bruun Larsen (£5.5m) scored, assisted by bargain defender Quilindschy Hartman (£4.0m).
New permanent arrival Marcus Edwards (£5.0m) - formerly of Sporting and Spurs - has netted three pre-season goals, including a penalty. Edwards or Bruun Larsen could be on spot-kick duties this season.
Maxime Esteve (£4.0m) is probably the likeliest regular starter of several Burnley defenders available in the cheapest FPL price bracket. That group also includes Axel Tuanzebe (£4.0m) - who appeared to pick up an injury against Shrewsbury Town last week - Joe Worrall (£4.0m). Lucas Pires (£4.0m) may now face competition at left-back from Hartman.
Chelsea
The Blues won’t compete in pre-season matches until they face Bayer Leverkusen on 8 August, followed by AC Milan two days later, but we can glean a few things from their performances in this summer's FIFA Club World Cup, and their transfer business this summer.
Cole Palmer (£10.5m) looked to be back to his brilliant best against Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final. The same may be true of Marc Cucurella (£6.0m), whose attacking threat may make him worth the extra million over otherwise solid defensive colleagues like Levi Colwill (£5.0m). In midfield, Moises Caicedo (£5.5m) looks likely to benefit from the new defensive contribution points in FPL, and Enzo Fernandez (£6.5m) could be a reliable mid-priced option if he continues in his new attacking role.
There have been plenty of newcomers in Maresca’s forward ranks, including Joao Pedro (£7.5m) and Liam Delap (£6.5m) arriving from Brighton and Ipswich Town, respectively. Joao Pedro started up top in the Club World Cup semis and final, scoring three goals.
Crystal Palace
Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.5m) now has four pre-season goals, following his brace against Augsburg in Austria on Friday. Eberechi Eze (£7.5m) also scored in that game, having previously grabbed a goal against Crawley Town - from a Mateta assist. Meanwhile, Ismaila Sarr (£6.5m) is available for £1.0m less than that duo in FPL and has two assists so far in pre-season from about 120 minutes of action.
Defensive contribution points could enable Maxence Lacroix (£5.0m) - the current pre-season minutes leader - or even Marc Guehi (£4.5m) to more closely rival last season’s star defender-come-winger Daniel Munoz (£5.5m), another player who found the net against Crawley. Meanwhile, there looks to be fierce competition at left wing-back between Tyrick Mitchell (£5.0m) and new signing Borna Sosa (£5.0m). The latter has so far appeared to offer a little more attacking threat, and has also taken his share of corners and some free-kicks in pre-season.
Everton
The Toffees have just one win in five pre-season matches.
David Moyes has brought in Carlos Alcaraz (£5.5m) on a permanent deal and have also replaced the departed Dominic Calvert-Lewin with promising young French striker Thierno Barry (£6.0m), who could vie for starting honours up front ahead of Beto (£5.5m).
Dwight McNeil (£6.0m) is Everton’s pre-season minutes leader; the playmaker managed 12 attacking returns from only 15 league starts in his injury-hit 2024/25 campaign. Idrissa Gana Gueye (£5.5m) - another defensive contribution leader from last season - has shown some pre-season threat of his own from midfield, including a goal against West Ham.
Fulham
Marco Silva’s side have won all four of their pre-season matches.
The undeniable star of those outings has been Harry Wilson (£5.5m). Making a strong case for more starts this season, the Welshman has scored five goals - including a penalty, albeit when usual taker Raul Jimenez (£6.5m) was off the pitch - and set up another.
Other previous FPL assets of interest like Alex Iwobi (£6.5m) and Ryan Sessegnon (£5.5m) - now an FPL midfielder - have assisted Wilson in those efforts, while Emile Smith Rowe (£6.0m) has two goals of his own.
Leeds United
Daniel Farke’s men drew against Manchester United in their pre-season opener and have since recorded wins against SC Veri and SC Paderborn. Those victories have featured forward Joel Piroe (£5.5m) - the Championship’s leading goalscorer last season, with 19 - netting three goals in 149 minutes of action, while new arrival Lukas Nmecha (£5.0m) and midfielder Wilfried Gnonto (£5.5m) have scored two apiece. Based on pre-season, Piroe may be Leeds' new first-choice penalty-taker, having scored one when usual go-to guy Pascal Struijk (£4.5m) was also on the pitch.
Meanwhile, Largie Ramazani (£5.0m) has two assists to his name and defender Struijk has one, while Anton Stach (£5.0m) grabbed another on his debut in late July.
In defence, new arrivals Jaka Bijol (£4.0m), Gabriel Gudmundsson (£4.0m) and Sebastiaan Bornauw (£4.0m) are all available at FPL’s lowest price point and have featured to varying degrees in pre-season - Bijol heavily, followed by left-back Gudmundsson, and Bornauw slightly less so to date. Struijk and Joe Rodon (£4.0m), last season’s main centre-half pairing, have also remained in the mix.
But the current pre-season minutes leader at Leeds is Jayden Bogle (£4.5m), the right-back who delivered six goals last season - the most of any defender in the Championship or the Premier League. Illan Meslier (£4.5m) and Karl Darlow (£4.0m) have shared goalkeeping duties so far in pre-season, but newcomer Lucas Perri (£4.5m) looks like he’ll be Farke’s new first choice between the posts once he settles in.
Liverpool
The Reds reportedly broke their club transfer record to bring in attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz (£8.5m), who has a goal plus two assists in pre-season. They also freshened up at full-back with the signings of two very attack-minded defenders in Jeremie Frimpong (£6.0m) and Milos Kerkez (£6.0m), each of whom have been heavily involved in pre-season - although they may still have Conor Bradley (£5.0m) and Andrew Robertson (£6.0m) to contend with.
New forward Hugo Ekitike (£8.5m) was given his first run-out in a win over Yokohama F Marinos on 30 July. Dominik Szoboszlai (£6.5m) and Cody Gakpo (£7.5m) - the latter now earning more points for goals and clean sheets as an FPL midfielder, rather than a forward - have each registered a handful of attacking returns in pre-season, and Darwin Nunez (£6.5m) also managed a hat-trick against Stoke City but may still struggle to get minutes when the season starts.
Manchester City
Like Chelsea, Manchester City are yet to engage in regular pre-season action due to a break following their participation in the Club World Cup.
Erling Haaland (£14.0m) scored three times in that tournament, while Jeremy Doku (£6.5m), Ilkay Gundogan (£6.5m) and Phil Foden (£8.0m) netted two goals each. Savinho (£7.0m), Bernardo Silva (£6.5m), Oscar Bobb (£5.5m) and new signing Rayan Cherki (£6.5m) all netted once in the Club World Cup.
Manchester United
The Red Devils have turned in better performances as they have progressed through pre-season, improving on a 0-0 pre-season opener against Leeds by beating West Ham 2-1 and then Bournemouth 4-1. Bruno Fernandes (£9.0m) scored a brace in the middle fixture, but was deployed in a deeper role in the other two. Once new signings Matheus Cunha (£8.0m) and Bryan Mbeumo (£8.0m) have been fully eased in, it’s becoming increasingly likely that we see Fernandes line up more centrally in midfield, which might hinder his goal contributions from open play.
One emerging star in pre-season is left wing-back Patrick Dorgu (£4.5m), who excelled in his side’s win against Bournemouth with a goal, assist and clean sheet. Indeed, the Dane has the joint-most pre-season minutes of any Man Utd player to date, alongside the similarly impressive Leny Yoro (£4.5m), Fernandes, Rasmus Hojlund (£6.5m) and Amad (£6.5m).
Budget enabler Ayden Heaven (£4.0m), meanwhile, has gained some more minutes at centre-back, as he did in Gameweek 38 last season. But with plenty of other central defensive options at Amorim’s disposal, including Luke Shaw (£4.5m) - who has started there on two occasions in pre-season - it may be worth seeing if that situation becomes any clearer prior to the Gameweek 1 deadline.
The same goes for the goalkeepers, with Tom Heaton (£4.0m) potentially vying for a start ahead of Altay Bayindir (£5.0m) if Andre Onana (£5.0m) fails to recover from a hamstring injury in time.
Newcastle United
Alexander Isak (£10.5m) is yet to feature in pre-season, with William Osula (£5.5m) deputising in attack so far.
As for the defence, Lewis Hall (£5.5m) was back on the bench in Newcastle’s most recent pre-season outing but faces a race against time to be fully fit for the start of the season. If Hall is unavailable, Kieran Trippier (£5.0m) could continue alongside Tino Livramento (£5.0m) as Howe’s full-back pairing. That duo stepped up last season after Hall’s injury and will likely be preferred to the likes of Emil Krafth (£4.5m) or Alex Murphy (£4.0m) despite the latter two men featuring more heavily in pre-season.
Newcastle beat Carlisle United before losing three straight matches to Celtic, Arsenal and a select XI from the Korean top flight. Anthony Elanga (£7.0m), the sole new arrival to date this summer at St James’ Park, scored against the Gunners, but so did positional rival Jacob Murphy (£6.5m), who also managed a goal and assist against Carlisle. The two right-wingers may well share minutes, potentially making both players no-go’s in FPL for now.
The same could be said of Anthony Gordon (£7.5m) and Harvey Barnes (£6.5m), but there’s a chance Gordon could feature up front in Gameweek 1 if Isak leaves and isn’t replaced. The England international has the joint-most pre-season minutes of the four widemen discussed above, alongside Elanga, with those two playing the full match against the Korean league’s all-stars while Barnes and Murphy missed out.
Nottingham Forest
A lack of goals has been Forest’s glaring issue in pre-season, with Nuno Espirito Santo's side scoring just one time in four friendlies. That successful effort - which was only a consolation goal in a loss to Fulham - came from Chris Wood (£7.5m), courtesy of a Neco Williams (£5.0m) assist.
New signing Igor Jesus (£6.0m), formerly of Botafogo, might help take some of the attacking burden off of Wood’s shoulders having recently been incorporated into Forest’s XI, including in a two-man attack in the team’s most recent outing.
Nuno can at least take solace in the fact that his side have kept three clean sheets in four attempts, with last season’s backline of Williams, Ola Aina (£5.0m), Nikola Milenkovic (£5.5m) and Murillo (£5.5m) looking to continue their defensive solidity in front of shot-stopper Matz Sels (£5.5m).
Sunderland
The Black Cats have been mightily busy in the transfer market but now haven’t won in four friendlies since a pre-season opening victory over National League North side South Shields.
Still, midfield star Enzo Le Fee (£5.0m) has continued to impress - including from set-pieces - since making his move from Roma permanent, and there’s excitement around Simon Adingra (£5.5m) following his move from Brighton. The Ivory Coast international scored in Sunderland’s most recent loss to Hull City, assisted by fellow new winger Chemsdine Talbi (£5.0m). There’s also Habib Diarra (£5.5m), a Jobe Bellingham replacement who may have a shot at penalty-taking duties given his record for Strasbourg last season.
Goalkeeper Simon Moore (£4.0m) - favoured to former No 1 Anthony Patterson (£4.5m) has been the club’s leader for pre-season minutes so far but looks likely to be usurped in goal by new arrival Robin Roefs (£4.5m). Behind Moore in that particular leaderboard is Dan Ballard (£4.5m), who on current evidence should keep his place at centre-back, perhaps joined by Jenson Seelt (£4.0m) as he has been throughout pre-season in Luke O'Nien's absence through injury.
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs are unbeaten in four pre-season matches under new boss Thomas Frank, including a win in the first north London derby on foreign soil. That victory over Arsenal at the end of July came thanks to a Pape Matar Sarr (£5.0m) goal, his third in the space of two matches. The Senegalese midfielder took up some advanced positions against the Gunners and, if he can continue to combine attacking returns with defensive contributions, could emerge as a cheap hidden gem in FPL.
Currently more popular among FPL managers, though, is new signing Mohammed Kudus (£6.5m), who has also impressed in pre-season so far and appears poised to rival last season’s leading club scorers Brennan Johnson and James Maddison (both £7.0m) and potential penalty-taking frontman Dominic Solanke (£7.5m) as Spurs’ best attacking options.
West Ham United
Lucas Paqueta (£6.0m) and Jarrod Bowen (£8.0m) have each tallied goals and assists so far in pre-season, with Niclas Fullkrug (£6.0m) also on the scoresheet in West Ham’s last outing, against Everton in the Premier League Summer Series. If the German can stay injury-free and nail down a spot in Graham Potter’s XI, he could offer a strong budget-friendly alternative to the positionally reclassified Bowen.
Then there’s James Ward-Prowse (£6.0m), who may also present an intriguing option if he picks up some of the team’s playmaking burden with Kudus gone. Like Fullkrug, he’s been involved in each of his side’s three pre-season matches so far, and is among the top West Ham players for minutes.
Right wing-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£4.5m) is a popular pick in FPL, and on the opposite flank new signing El Hadji Malick Diouf (£4.5m) has also had a promising start to life as a Hammer. A capable crosser of the ball while being unafraid to go for goal himself, the quick 20-year-old could be another cut-price gem in Potter’s set-up.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
There is expectation at Molineux that incoming playmaker Jhon Arias (£5.5m) can help boost Wolves’ creativity following the loss of key man Cunha, but the Colombian is yet to feature for his new side in pre-season.
Hwang Hee-Chan (£6.0m) has a goal and assist in pre-season, while Goncalo Guedes (£5.5m) managed six attacking returns in only 10 league starts last season and scored a well-taken goal against Ligue 1 side Lens in July.
Following the departure of club captain Nelson Semedo, we’ve seen Ki-Jana Hoever (£4.0m) start several consecutive pre-season outings at right wing-back. The Dutchman grabbed an assist for Jorgen Strand Larsen (£6.5m) in one of those matches, and could be a cheap enabler if he keeps his spot. The same goes for Hugo Bueno or Rodrigo Gomes (both £4.5m) if either player continues to start at left wing-back.