RUMOR MILL
Chelsea needs depth
If the Community Shield against Arsenal showed anything, it’s that Chelsea is not ready for the season. After the game, Antonio Conte himself insisted (again) that the club needs to sign more players quickly. Morata’s adjustment period might take longer than anticipated, while Fabregas can’t control the midfield on his own. A creator is needed. Time will tell if Chelsea management will be able to find him. Generally speaking, look for The Blues to be very active before the deadline.
United chasing Bale
Mourinho would love Bale at United. Every hint of a chance appears, and the newspapers are filled with speculations. What that means is The Red Devils are in waiting mode, and they would relish the opportunity to add such a player, no matter the cost. Bale himself would also probably be better off in England. However, for now, all signs point toward him staying in Spain for at least another season.
Gylfi almost a Toffie
[the_ad id=”384″]Everton has been waiting for anyone — literally anyone — to make an offer for Ross Barkley. They need that sale in order to fund a move for Swansea’s Gylfi Sigurdsson. Even though the Welsh side doesn’t really want to sell, the right offer would see the Icelander leave in an instant. However, as surprising as it might sound, the market for Barkley has been very quiet, thus postponing Gylfi’s seemingly inevitable arrival. I believe a deal will get done eventually. It’s been talked about far too much for it not to.
Barkley’s future unclear
Where Ross Barkley, a once coveted prospect, ends up is unknown at this point. Both Tottenham and Chelsea appear to be viable options on paper. Logic dictates one of them makes a move soon. Until then, Barkley’s fantasy value stays in limbo.
Van Dijk can’t take it anymore
Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk has officially filed a transfer request after weeks of gossip that he wants to leave. Liverpool has been the team most often connected to the Dutch international, although just recently Jurgen Klopp said in an interview that he’s very satisfied with the defenders currently at his disposal. Who becomes van Dijk’s suitor remains to be seen, although it’s highly doubtful he’ll be a Saint come September 1. Fonte left the club, so if van Dijk leaves as well, there will be a gaping hole to be filled on defense. Look for Southampton to acquire a center back by the end of the transfer period.
Benitez waiting for reinforcements
Despite having signed a decent number of players, Newcastle’s Rafa Benitez is still waiting for more quality additions to join the squad. The latest rumor has Chelsea’s Kenedy coming over to The Magpies on a season-long loan. That’s probably going to be the story with this team until deadline day: loans, loans, and more loans. Ambitions are running high on this team, so fantasy owners be aware.
Diego Costa in the middle of nowhere
It was a foregone conclusion that Diego Costa would be an Atletico Madrid player by now. Well, things haven’t really worked out that way yet, and as of this moment, he’s still a Chelsea player. Milan has tried to lure him away to Italy, but nothing is imminent.
Ibrahimovic taking his time
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been slowly recuperating from his injury and taking his time making a decision where he wants to spend the upcoming season. Lately, there has been talk of him coming back to United for another year. Other than that, Milan’s search for an experienced striker hasn’t circumvented the Swede. If he does come back to United, his fantasy value will be completely up in the air.
Andre Gray to Watford
In a rather unexpected turn of events, wanted prospect Andre Gray is now a member of Watford, having been acquired from Burnley for a fee of $24 million. The Golden Boys needed a partner for Troy Deeney, and with Gray they might have found the perfect match in his opposite. In terms of fantasy value, the change of scenery doesn’t affect Gray’s value much.
Martins Indi to Stoke
After agreeing on a loan deal with Chelsea for Kurt Zouma, Stoke is trying to obtain the services of another similar defender in the name of Bruno Martins Indi. Unable to adapt in Portugal (Porto), he’s coming to England in an attempt to hit the restart button on his career. Ryan Shawcross and Geoff Cameron are the likely starters for Day 1; however, both Zouma and potentially Indi are very attractive sleepers to keep your eyes on.
Mahrez saga continues
You can’t say Roma isn’t trying, having made four bids for the Algerian. Leicester is simply reluctant to sell for what they consider to be a below market price. My interpretation of the entire situation is that Mahrez wanted to go to Barcelona, but after not receiving that desired phone call, he’s now caught in no man’s land. Credit to him, as all reports say he’s been 100% professional during offseason preparations. Although I think Roma will eventually prevail and persuade The Foxes to sell, it’s not out of the question we see Mahrez in a blue jersey for one more season.
Arsenal players awaiting their future
Several players from Arsenal have been on the trade block for a while, and the closer we’re to August 31, the more we’ll hear their names in transfer conversations. Giroud is bound for France, although it doesn’t sound like he’s too enthusiastic about it. Antonio Conte is keen on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but it seems less and less likely that’s going to happen. Jack Wilshere, Mathieu Debuchy, Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson all await their future to be decided, and it’s more a question of when than whether they’ll depart. And Lucas Perez (who never really got a chance) is somewhere in between going back to Deportivo and being loaned to Newcastle.
Philippe Coutinho
Anyone who has opened any soccer website lately will have read the Liverpool player’s name. Barcelona has been after him since rumors of Neymar to PSG started circulating in the air. The Reds have held firm so far, and despite having been offered huge sums of money, they are reluctant to give away their prized asset. Coutinho doesn’t seem to want to force a move away from Anfield, so as things stand right now, he’s a worthy fantasy pick/add, albeit still a risky one.
INJURY UPDATES
(Important players expected to miss the first match-day of the English Premier League season.)
Arsenal – Alexis Sanchez, Francis Coquelin, Laurent Koscielny (suspension)
Chelsea – Tiemoue Bakayoko, Eden Hazard, Victor Moses (suspension)
Everton – Ross Barkley, Aaron Lennon
Leicester – Danny Drinkwater, Vicente Iborra
Liverpool – Nathaniel Clyne, Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge, Adam Lallana
Manchester City – Benjamin Mendy
Newcastle – DeAndre Yedlin
Southampton – Virgil van Dijk
Swansea – Fernando Llorente
Tottenham – Heung-Min Son, Danny Rose, Kieran Trippier, Victor Wanyama
Watford – Troy Deeney
West Ham – Michail Antonio, Diafra Sakho, Andy Carroll, Manuel Lanzini, Sofiane Feghouli
Good luck to all in the new season!
Links to previous articles:
Fantasy EPL: Transfers Review
EPL Fantasy Sleepers
Fantasy EPL: Top Players by Position
Fantasy EPL: Draft Advice
Fantasy EPL: Top-10 Strategy Tips
EPL Fantasy Strategies
Fantasy Soccer Guide