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Deadline Day’s Impact on your Fantasy Football Team

Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne (C) celebrates his goal with teammate Vincent Kompany (behind) against Bosnia during their Euro 2016 qualification match at the King Baudouin stadium in Brussels, Belgium September 3, 2015. REUTERS/Yves Herman (REUTERS)

This article was written by our friends over at FPLBet. For more fantasy football tips, head over to FPLBet.com

The international break is upon us, but there is still plenty to ponder over for fantasy football managers around the globe. Not only is Mondogoal hosting a £2,500 fantasy football contest for the European Qualifying matches, but the Premier League resumes on the 12th of September with plenty to talk about.

Deadline Day is over; so let’s look at the new personnel, their potential and most of all… should you consider selecting them for Mondogoal teams?

Kevin De Bruyne (Wolfsburg > Man City) 55m

The marathon negotiations have finally come to an end, with Man City coming out on top and securing the services of the young Belgian. De Bruyne’s impact is often overlooked, but we believe he is and will continue to rub shoulders with the best and his statistics support this. No other player in Bundesliga history has made more assists in a single season than De Bruyne did in 2014/15, with an extraordinary 20. He also topped the charts for Europe’s top 5 leagues, with joint runners up Messi and Fabregas finishing with 18.

Yet the athletic midfielder has more to his game than just setting up his teammates, as he managed to find the net himself on 10 occasions last season. De Bruyne is never afraid to shoot on sight, he attempted 2.8 shots per game domestically and 3.5 per game in Europe last year, which means he consistently racks up open play points on Mondogoal. It’s refreshing to see a midfielder who not only creates but also chips in with his fair share of goals. David Silva, who is a wonderful little player, scored 12 goals last season in his most prolific season to date and there’s no reason why De Bruyne cannot match this or even surpass it. During the 2014/15 campaign his International teammate Eden Hazard was awarded the Player of the Year trophy and became the template pick for the majority of Mondogoal managers. De Bruyne has the potential to match this status.

Anthony Martial (Monaco > Man United) £36m

The leading story of Transfer Deadline Day saw Anthony Martial, after some minor hiccups, put pen to paper on a 4-year contract to join Man United. The versatile forward is perhaps the perfect mould of player that Van Gaal has been searching for. Wayne Rooney has struggled domestically this season and Martial will provide much-needed pace and movement up top. He likes to drift in from the left, similar to Thierry Henry in his prime. However, we expect Van Gaal to field the 19-year-old just in front of Rooney, spearheading the attack. The Dutch coach now appears settled with Depay on the left flank, which leaves the opportunity for Martial to lead the line. The fact that he has been handed the number 9 shirt further backs up this theory.

Anthony Martial has scored more goals (9) than any other teenager in Europe’s top 5 leagues since the start of last season. He runs the channels, dribbles at opponents and will pick up plenty of points in open play. He managed a relatively low 1.5 shots per game in the 2014/15 season, but we expect this to increase with a more advanced role and further assistance from the likes of Juan Mata… Man United’s version of Bernardo Silva (Monaco). With so much pressure resting on such young shoulders Martial may be eased into the starting XI, but once he’s there, he has no ceiling for Mondogoal.

Virgil Van Dijk (Celtic > Southampton) £11.5m

Celtic’s Champions League Qualifier defeat to Malmo looks to have been the final straw for Van Dijk’s patience. It was well known around Scotland that the Dutch centre-back stood head and shoulders above his opponents and teammates in both capacity and class. Van Dijk has earned this move and we believe he could prove to be a real asset for Mondogoal managers. Van Dijk is a serious goal-threat with 5 goals in 2013/14, followed by an unbelievable 10 in 2014/15. He also proved dangerous from set-pieces and we don’t mean just his aerial ability. The 6ft 4 defender is no stranger to scoring directly from these situations. Yes, the opportunity arises where your Mondgoal defender could be the designated free-kick taker. That reminds us of someone… his new manager and fellow countryman Ronald Koeman (top scoring defender in world football) of course. Other attributes to note are that Van Dijk is a very clean tackler and reads the game intelligently, making 3 interceptions per game in 2014/15, which suits Mondogoal’s scoring system perfectly.

The towering defender is still just 24-years-old, but he plays with a distinct composure of someone with twice his experience. With an international breakthrough on the horizon, Van Dijk felt it was ‘best for his development’ to link up with a Premier League side. We expect him to slot into the defence beside Jose Fonte from the off and then rotate out occasionally during Europa League ties.

Victor Moses (Chelsea > West Ham) Loan

The majority of football fans have to double check when they find out Victor Moses is still just 24-years-old. He has jumped from club to club since joining Chelsea from Wigan back in the summer of 2012 and seems to have been on the go for years. The lively winger has played for Liverpool, Stoke and now welcomes the opportunity of a year-long loan switch to West Ham. Moses will attempt to rejuvenate his career and finally prove to Mourinho that he can be a staple squad member for the Champions.

The Nigerian International, who has 7 goals in 24 appearances for his country, impressed last season at Stoke and was deservedly handed a contract extension by his parent club. This surprised many, but if you take a closer look his stats were superb. In the 2014/15 campaign on average per game Moses made more key passes (1.7) than Wayne Rooney, had more shots (2.2) than Theo Walcott and attempted more dribbles (3.3) than Raheem Sterling. Moses was also on the scoresheet 3 times and picked up the same number of assists in his 19 appearances at Stoke. A season that was largely hampered by injuries might we add. Moses is a very confident and explosive player, which in our eyes is the perfect combination to score big in Mondogoal. So hopefully he can put these injury problems behind him and rediscover his hidden talents.

Joleon Lescott (West Brom > Aston Villa) £2m

Tim Sherwood delved into the market to locate a defender “who has great Premier League experience” to create competition for Ciaran Clark and possibly form a solid partnership with skipper Micah Richards. Lescott fits the bill perfectly and was picked up cheaply, after been shifted down the pecking order at West Brom. In his final appearance at The Hawthorns, Lescott was a rock at the back; this was a smart ploy by Tony Pulis, as it well and truly put his name back in the shop window and successfully tempted Villa into snatching him up.

Clean sheets are vital for defenders in Mondogoal and Lescott is no stranger to them, having secured 15 in the 2014/15 campaign, which was only topped by Ivanovic and Terry with 17. Of course they are obtained by a team effort; but nevertheless, having someone in your squad with experience of consistently shutting teams out can only be a positive. Lescott has committed an exceptionally low 0.6 fouls per game since 2009, so don’t worry about endless (-0.5) point hindrances on Mondogoal. If Lescott displaces Ciaran Clark and gets a run of games under his belt, he could prove to be a valuable and affordable asset.

Victor Ibarbo (Cagliari > Watford) Undisclosed

Watford have a trend for recruiting players from the Italian Leagues and singing a Colombian international, is a big statement in their quest for survival. We feel Ibarbo is a similar addition to Rondon at West Brom and has the ability to make a name for himself in England. He looks ready-made for the Premier League and already has the physical strength, which many players need to develop before impacting in this league and he possess a tremendous change of pace.

Last season, Ibarbo only started 12 matches, finding the net on just 2 occasions, but some of his stats stood out for us that could be useful in Mondogoal terms. On average per game, he was fouled 3.2 times attempted 3 dribbles, which is very high for an unorthodox forward. However, there are a few major negatives to point out. First up and a big worry is the fact that Ibarbo has only scored 15 goals in 133 appearances and second of all is, despite his physical prowess the technical side of his game is certainly lacking. The 25-year-old Colombian is comfortable playing as either a striker, supporting Deeney most likely, but is also adept as an unconventional winger. We are almost certain that Ibarbo will be classified as a ‘forward’ on Mondogoal, which bumps down his practicality somewhat. As mentioned before, his goalscoring exploits are poor, but if he enters a purple patch, Ibarbo could be worth a gamble.

Michail Antonio (Nottingham Forest > West Ham) Undisclosed

The second West Ham player to earn a mention in our recommendations is the highly rated winger Michail Antonio. The Englishman plays with an aggressive, direct style, which aims to get spectators bums off their seats. Antonio completed more successful dribbles (123) since the start of last season, than any other player in the Championship. With this in mind and the fact that he was the second-most fouled player (3.3 times per game) in the Championship last season, it’s easy to see why Antonio can be effective on your Mondogoal side. During the first 4 fixtures of 2015/16, he has taken 4.5 shots per game, which equals Aguero’s average from last season. Just to add more stats to the mix; we mentioned earlier that he loves to exercise the opposition and we noted down that he has attempted twice as many dribbles (4.8) per game than any other player in the Championship this season, barring Jacob Butterfield (2.6).

It is not guaranteed that Antonio will be thrown into the deep end from the off so we recommend keeping your eyes peeled on the line-ups and team news during the final days of the International break. If he can nail down his place on the left wing, Antonio offers a real Mondogoal differential who is capable of scoring points in a variety of ways.

Glenn Murray (Crystal Palace > Bournemouth) £4m

Eddie Howe has bolstered his attacking options with the acquisition of veteran striker Glenn Murray. The target man arrives with a wealth of experience at this level and will share game time with Joshua King in supporting last season’s top scorer at the club, Callum Wilson. The player to line-up alongside Wilson will be selected on a form and opposition basis. Murray provides an alternative to Bournemouth’s possession game in that he can play with his back to goal and link up efficiently. He also contests well in the air, winning 3.5 aerial duels per game last season. The bustling forward is especially dangerous from set-piece situations, as this stat highlights. If he can strike-up a partnership with Callum Wilson, both players, as well as Mondogoal managers will benefit.

Bournemouth is apparently a very relaxed place to live, but is this ‘feet up’ motive behind his move or does Murray still have something left in the tank? We will just have to wait and see.

DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham > Sunderland) Loan

The American will compete with Billy Jones and Adam Matthews for the right-back spot at Sunderland. If he succeeds in dislodging, at this time Billy Jones, he should provide a decent output on Mondogoal. Yedlin’s speed and tenacity can offer Sunderland an alternative option down the right flank, similar to Patrick Van Aanholt on the opposite side. He will provide width, just like he did for the USA in the World Cup where was used as an impact substitute to inject some energy into the side. Yedlin is a versatile player, who can also play on the wing and he is well equipped to do so. If Sunderland take up this idea and Mondogoal classify him as a defender, then Yedlin has the potential to become the Schlupp of 2015/16

Nikica Jelavic (Hull > West Ham) £3m

Slaven Bilic has decided to put his faith in a familiar face by securing the services of Nikica Jelavic. Bilic has history of coaching the Croatian on International duty and obviously rates the striker highly. Jelavic is a classic forward who challenges opponents physically and has proved in the past to be a handful for Premier League defences. We predict Bilic will utilize and get the best out of him when facing the ‘big sides’, the teams who need loosening up, before attempting to break down. He will need to earn his starting place, so we recommend reserving judgment during his first few outings, but Jelavic is definitely one to watch on Mondogoal.

That’s our take on how deadline day can affect your weekly Mondogoal fantasy Premier League teams. These players should all be available starting gameweek 6 as gameweek 5 contests were already posted prior to the transfer deadline. In the meantime, be sure to get involved in the big European Qualifier fantasy football contests, only available at Mondogoal!