Fantasy Football: Five budget midfielders
Friday, September 13, 2019
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A bargain midfielder can make or break your #UCLfantasy team; UEFA.com picks out five contenders.
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Before the start of the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League, UEFA.com singles out five budget friendly midfielders for #UCLfantasy.
Kai Havertz (Leverkusen) – €5.5m
After finishing fourth in the Bundesliga last season, Leverkusen have returned to the UEFA Champions League following a two-year absence. Paramount to their chances of progressing in the tournament will be the form of their young German midfielder Havertz, who enjoyed an excellent 2018/19 campaign. The midfielder scored 17 times in 34 Bundlesiga appearances last season and also showed his pedigree in Europe, scoring three times in six UEFA Europa League matches.
Taison (Shakhtar Donetsk) – €5.5m
While Shakhtar are not known for clean sheets, they are prolific at the other end, having scored at least two goals in six of their last ten UEFA Champions League group matches. Their 2018/19 group campaign brought eight goals in their six matches with midfielder Taison involved in three of them – two goals and an assist. Those attacking returns came in just 437 minutes of action, meaning Taison averaged a goal or assist every 146 minutes. There are very few other budget midfielders who can boast such a high ratio.
Dani Olmo (Dinamo Zagreb) – €6.0m
After overcoming Rosenborg in the play-offs, Dinamo have reached the group stage for the first time since 2016/17. Instrumental in that success was the form of their Spanish midfielder Olmo, who registered three goals and two assists in the qualifying rounds. Dinamo's reward was to be drawn against Manchester City, Atalanta and Shakhtar Donetsk, giving Olmo the perfect platform to showcase his creative gifts.
Mason Mount (Chelsea) – €6.5m
The appointment of club legend Frank Lampard as manager over the summer as led to something of a youth revolution at Chelsea. At the forefront of this is midfielder Mount, who Lampard managed at Derby County last season. That familiarity between the two has led Lampard to place a great amount of trust in the Englishman and this faith has been rewarded with Mount having scored twice in Chelsea's opening four Premier League matches. The midfielder is also first choice to take free-kicks and corners, meaning additional opportunities for goals and assists.
James Milner (Liverpool) – €5.5m
Milner offers excellent value for money having scored 11 more #UCLfantasy points last season than the next highest player priced at €5.5m. A favourite of #UCLfantasy managers, Milner set a record with nine assists in the 2017/18 UEFA Champions League, and he backed this up with two goals, two assists and 41 #UCLfantasy points in Liverpool's triumphant 2018/19 campaign.