The trio will likely be a popular choice in week two of the Premier League season, but will they be good value for money?
It was a stormy start to the 2021-22 Premier League season with 34 goals scored and Bruno Fernandes (12.1 million)
Gameweek 2 kicks off August 21, but will you stick with your roster from the start, rip everything apart and make big changes or maybe just a single transfer to keep things going?
Whatever you choose, target takes a look at three players who are likely to come into focus before the weekend and assesses the merits of a transfer in each one.
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Romelu Lukaku | Chelsea | forward | £ 11.5 million
Chelsea’s £ 98m (£ 136million) summer signing from Inter
Lukaku has already trained with his Blues teammates and has stated that he is ready and eager to face the Gunners after having had a full pre-season after his efforts with Belgium at Euro 2020.
Indeed, it would be a surprise if Tuchel didn’t include the club’s record signing in a difficult game away at Arsenal from the start, despite Mikel Arteta’s problems at Brentford in the opening game.
Lukaku doesn’t have a particularly good record against the north Londoners, but he has made progress since leaving the Premier League in 2019 and is returning as a far more confident and relaxed striker.
Looking at his Serie A statistics from last season at Inter, Lukaku, who was second in the top scorer charts behind Cristiano Ronaldo at 24, had a better shot conversion rate than the Portuguese (17.26%) with a value of 25%.
His shooting accuracy within the penalty area, without blocks, was also better than Ronaldo’s, at an impressive 62.34% – of the players who scored 15 or more in the Italian top division, only Zlatan Ibrahimovic could improve that (63.93 %).
Compare that to Chelsea’s Premier League stats last season – where, let’s not forget, Jorginho was seven of the club’s top scorer – and Lukaku was way better than Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham.
The judgment
Clearly, at £ 11.5million, Lukaku’s bringing in comes at a significant cost, although all indications suggest that he can justify that kind of hassle.
There will be those who still have concerns that Lukaku is no better than when he left Manchester United – where he only scored 12 goals in his last league season with the club – but those fears should be allayed pretty early.
He has returned to England in better physical shape and having just won the Serie A title as Inter’s flagship attacking player, he can handle the burden to rely on and Chelsea are looking for a player in that form screamed.
So our suggestion would be to give it a try when you have the finances, as Lukaku should quickly become a central part of Tuchel’s starting XI and is the perfect number 9 to complement the Blues’ other offensive skills.
Must-have rating of the goal (out of 5): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Said Benrahma | West ham | Midfielder | £ 6.1m
The fact that Said Benrahma’s price has already gone up tells you everything you need to know about the West Ham winger impact on Gameweek 1.
Newcastle found the Algerian’s tricks and direct run hard to deal with and crowned a formidable afternoon on Tyneside with a goal and assist – a 12-point deduction that only Mikhail Antonio (£ 7.6m) was exceeded.
At the time of writing, only 9.9% of all FPL managers own Benrahma, although that number is only likely to increase as we near the 11am BST Saturday amendment deadline.
The countering potential in David Moyes’ side is devastating, even without Jesse Lingard (£ 7m), who was so instrumental during his loan last season to burst forward and dribble at high speed.
While they look anything but solid at the back, with Newcastle taking 17 shots in total in 90 minutes, the Hammers were tied with Liverpool for shots in the box (eight) and big chances (four) on the first weekend.
The judgment
Even with a slight increase in price, Benrahma looks excellent value for the next few game weeks, especially considering West Ham’s game plan.
The Hammers take on Leicester (H), Crystal Palace (H) and Southampton (A) before receiving Manchester United.
Big names like Bertrand Traore (£ 6m), Pascal Gross (£ 6m) and Jack Harrison (£ 6m) are all in the same price range, although the former Brentford star’s influence on Gameweek 1 took him to the fore Your should slide list if you are considering a referral.
Must-have rating of the goal (out of 5): ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Raphael Varane | Man Utd | Defender | £ 5.5m
Manchester United’s £ 40m (£ 55m) deal
When he was introduced to the crowd at Old Trafford ahead of the impressive 5-1 win over Leeds United, it felt like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, who also acquired Jadon Sancho this summer, were on a serious run for the title the Premier League could have that designation.
But is it really worth investing in Varane for FPL? The simple answer is: not really.
Traditionally, center-backs are not top scorers in the FPL, with marauding full-backs often being better defensive picks that offer more bang for your buck.
Last season, for example, only Ruben Dias (£ 6m) was among the top eight defenders that could be considered a center-back, while only Virgil van Dijk (£ 6.5m) made the top three since 2018-19.
The judgment
Do not do it. As nice as it is to have this newcomer in your starting XI this summer, there is better value elsewhere in the game.
It is by no means certain that Varane will even appear at St. Mary’s against Southampton on Sunday, as his preseason was disrupted by France’s participation in Euro 2020 as well as his quarantine requirements upon his arrival in the UK.
If you are sure you want a Manchester United defender ahead of attractive games against Southampton (A), Wolves (A) and Newcastle (H) then better to choose either Luke Shaw (£ 5.5m) or Aaron Wan- Bissaka (£ 5.5 million).
Must-have rating of the goal (out of 5): ⭐⭐⭐
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