An XI of new signings to consider on FPL 2022-23: Perisic, Haaland, Pope…

Planet Football • 05 Aug 2022

The 2022-23 season is almost upon us and at this point you should be making your final tweaks to your Fantasy Premier League team – how many new faces are you including?

It’s been an incredibly hectic and interesting summer of transfer business, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham spending big on new additions as they look to close the gap on Manchester City and Liverpool. Manchester United haven’t been quite as active but are expected to make further recruitments in the coming weeks.

But which new signings look like the best bets for your FPL team? We’ve taken a look and made 11 picks, arranging them into a 4-3-3 XI.

GK: Nick Pope – £5.0m

Yeah, he got relegated with Burnley last season, but in recent seasons Pope has established a reputation as one of the Premier League’s best shot-stoppers.

Only three goalkeepers in the division made more saves last term, and his heroics between the sticks were often an avenue to bonus and save points whilst he was at Burnley.

Newcastle, with highly-rated Sven Botman in, should keep him relatively well-protected too. They kept clean sheets in four of their last eight outings in 2021-22 and only three sides have picked up more points in 2022 so far.

DF: William Saliba – £4.5m

Okay, not strictly a new signing, but new to the Premier League.

Arsenal didn’t concede with the France international on the pitch during pre-season. While he faces competition from Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes for a spot in central defence, a report in The Sun claims that he’s set to make his competitive Gunners debut in their opener against Crystal Palace.

DF: Ivan Perisic – £5.5m

The experienced Croatian is new to the Premier League and still getting used to a new club with new team-mates, but that’s all negated by the fact he worked under Antonio Conte at Inter. It should just be a case of plug-in and play.

He notched four goals and five assists as a wingback as Conte’s Inter won Serie A back in 2020-21 and he looks to have all the makings of an FPL wingback hero.

DF: Nathan Collins – £4.5m

Republic of Ireland international Collins caught the eye at Burnley last season, despite their struggles, and is going into one of the Premier League’s sturdier and defensively-minded teams in Bruno Lage’s Wolves. Only five sides kept more clean sheets last season.

More importantly, he’s capable of scoring goals like this.

"Has there ever been a better goal for Republic of Ireland from a central defender?" 🤔

Gary Breen has a World Cup goal to his name but he never scored one quite like that! 😂 pic.twitter.com/4RA6qqJxL3

— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) June 14, 2022

DF: Kalidou Koulibaly – £5.5m

Only the top two kept more clean sheets than Chelsea last season, while Antonio Rudiger was the highest-scoring FPL defender outside of Liverpool and Manchester City.

Rudiger’s replacement Koulibaly has been one of Europe’s most highly-rated centre-backs in recent seasons. Thomas Tuchel knows how to organise a defence and, in theory, the Senegal international should slot straight in.

He’s also a handy player for set-pieces, having notched three Serie A goals for Napoli last season.

MF: Raheem Sterling – £10.0m

Over the last five Premier League seasons, en route to four titles, Sterling scored 78 goals and registered 44 assists.

Chelsea are blessed to have such a proven addition.

MF: Brenden Aaronson – £5.5m

The USA international is Leeds United’s most expensive addition of the summer and he already looks integral to the project Jesse Marsch is building at Leeds.

He scored four goals and registered five assists for Austrian Bundesliga champions Red Bull Salzburg last term, while he looked particularly sharp in Leeds’ final pre-season friendly last weekend, notching three assists in a 6-2 victory over Cagliari.

Far from a sure thing but at £5.5million well worth a punt.

😍 Still thinking about that pass! pic.twitter.com/LLmymZfiKJ

— Leeds United (@LUFC) August 1, 2022

MF: Joe Aribo – £5.5m

Aribo caught the eye by scoring in the Europa League final last season, while setting up Kelechi Iheanacho’s match-winner against Egypt in the Africa Cup Of Nations. He also notched eight goals and six assists in the Scottish Premiership.

Capable of playing in any number of advanced positions, including up top in the final weeks of last season, it’ll be interesting to see how Ralph Hasenhuttl opts to use the Nigerian at Southampton.

FW: Erling Haaland – £11.5m

86 goals in 89 games at Borussia Dortmund.

We’re going out on a limb and suggest he’ll probably do alright at Manchester City.

READ: How Erling Haaland’s goalscoring record will translate to FPL

FW: Darwin Nunez – £9.0m

Subject to some nonsense in pre-season, Nunez demonstrated that he’ll probably do just fine by winning a penalty and scoring a goal during a 35-minute cameo against Premier League champions Manchester City in the Community Shield.

Just think how he’ll fare in 90 minutes against sides lower down the table.

Darwin Nunez gets his goal 🙌🇺🇾

Liverpool draw first blood against Man City this season 👏#LIVMCI pic.twitter.com/4T586WDtQ6

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 30, 2022

FW: Gabriel Jesus – £8.0m

The Brazilian was never an obvious FPL pick whilst at Man City, in part due to falling victim to Pep Roulette, but everything looks different all of a sudden.

Since moving to Arsenal in the summer, he’s scored seven goals in five pre-season friendlies, averaging a goal every 37.85 minutes for the Gunners. Not only is he a sure starter, but he looks to be thriving as the focal point of their attack.

No wonder he’s said to be the most-picked player in FPL history, with nearly three-quarters of managers selecting him for the opening fixture away to Crystal Palace. Omit him at your peril.