Strategic Defensive Restructuring Funds Midfield Re-acquisition

FPL Harry · December 29, 2025 · Listen to Original Episode →

Original Title:

TL;DR

Selling David Raya for a cheaper goalkeeper like Verbruggen enables upgrading Sarr to Bukayo Saka, reacquiring a key player after an early sale due to financial flexibility gained from other transfers.
Replacing injured defenders Rodon and potentially Timber with Everton's Tarkowski and Keane provides defensive depth and rotation options, leveraging their favorable upcoming fixtures.
The decision to re-acquire Bukayo Saka is driven by the financial flexibility created by downgrading Bruno Fernandes to Jota, allowing for a strategic re-investment in a high-performing player.
Prioritizing defensive upgrades to Tarkowski and Keane over expensive goalkeepers like Pickford offers better value through potential goal threat and defensive contribution from center-backs.
The strategy involves making three transfers simultaneously--Saka in for Sarr, Tarkowski in for Timber, and Keane in for Rodon--to optimize team structure despite potential uncertainty around Timber's availability.
Considering a move for Gabriel from Timber is a sideways upgrade that frees up funds, but it necessitates further transfers to accommodate him and a new goalkeeper.
The potential acquisition of Michael Keane is influenced by his predicted price rise and the need to replace Rodon, who sustained an ankle injury, ensuring defensive cover.

Deep Dive

The core argument is that FPL Harry's team is undergoing significant defensive restructuring due to multiple injuries, necessitating a strategic use of three available transfers to address both immediate threats and long-term team value. This involves potentially selling a high-cost goalkeeper and downgrading injured defenders to fund the re-acquisition of a previously sold premium midfielder, highlighting the cascading financial and strategic decisions driven by player availability and fixture runs.

The immediate consequence of injuries to Timber, Richards, and Rodon forces a re-evaluation of the defense, which has been a source of concern even before these issues arose. David Raya, the current goalkeeper, is underperforming relative to his cost, prompting consideration of a downgrade to a cheaper option like Verbruggen. This financial maneuver is crucial because it enables the upgrade of Semenyo, a player whose team's fixtures are turning unfavorable, to Bukayo Saka, a premium midfielder who was previously sold. The rationale for re-acquiring Saka is driven by the availability of funds freed up by other transfers and a desire to strengthen the attacking midfield with a player offering consistent returns, especially after Bruno Fernandes' injury created a need for funds and a potential gap in other teams.

Further defensive adjustments are being considered, specifically upgrading the injured Rodon to Michael Keane. This move provides a more reliable fifth defender for rotation and mitigates the risk of an injured player occupying a valuable squad slot. The decision on whether to proceed with all three transfers hinges on further injury updates, particularly regarding Timber, as a confirmed absence for him might necessitate a different defensive reshuffling. The analysis of Newcaslte players like Bruno Guimaraes and Malick Thiaw, alongside Brighton's defensive options and West Ham's Bowen, illustrates the broader landscape of player targets, but the immediate focus remains on addressing the defensive frailties and capitalizing on the opportunity to reinvest in a proven asset like Saka.

Ultimately, the primary implication is that FPL Harry must make impactful transfers to mitigate immediate point losses from injured players while simultaneously positioning his team for better future performance through strategic upgrades and financial management. The potential move to re-acquire Saka, funded by defensive downgrades and sales of underperforming assets, demonstrates a willingness to correct previous decisions when new information (like injuries and shifting fixtures) dictates a change in strategy, underscoring the dynamic nature of FPL team management.

Action Items

Audit defensive injuries: Track injury status for Richards, Timber, and Rodon to inform defensive transfer decisions.
Evaluate goalkeeper value: Compare David Raya's points-per-million against Verbruggen, Sanchez, and Pickford for optimal budget allocation.
Upgrade midfield attacker: Replace Sarr with Bukayo Saka to re-acquire a high-performing asset, leveraging freed-up funds.
Strengthen defensive depth: Replace Rodon with Michael Keane to secure a reliable fifth defender and manage potential future injuries.

Key Quotes

"I've had injuries in my defense I've got timber richards and now rodon all injured I sold bukayo saka last week in game week 18 to buy declan rice but I now might need to buy him back as soon as just one week later because of the injuries we've got elsewhere and the money we've freed up with some of those other transfers I do have three transfers in the bank going into game week 19 luckily I saved a few from game week 18 and didn't use them all so there's lots of potential routes for me"

FPL Harry explains that a series of defensive injuries has created a complex situation for his team. This situation necessitates potentially reacquiring a player, Bukayo Saka, whom he sold just the previous week, highlighting the dynamic and often reactive nature of Fantasy Premier League team management.

"I've got david raya in goal another low xgc game for arsenal but a goal conceded meaning there were other goalkeepers at cheaper prices outscoring david raya this might be the end of the road for david raya in my team and we will talk about best replacements for him in just a moment it is a lot of money to spend on a goalkeeper who doesn't get me enough points basically and even when he does it's only really a six pointer"

FPL Harry expresses dissatisfaction with his current goalkeeper, David Raya, due to his performance relative to his cost. He suggests that Raya's point returns are not justifying his price, indicating a potential transfer is being considered to find a more cost-effective or higher-scoring option.

"I could try and go up to someone like a cole palmer outside of that in that sort of mid price range i could try and punt on newcastle and we'll talk about them in just a moment i could go to a gordon i could go to a bruno guimaraes i could have a look at some other midfielders in there but there's not loads that really stand out to me as a having good fixtures and b being worth the money"

FPL Harry outlines several potential midfield transfer targets, including Cole Palmer and Newcastle players like Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimarães. He indicates a cautious approach, stating that he is not yet convinced by these options due to concerns about their fixtures and overall value for money.

"I would say somenio potentially and my defense is really where I'm looking to upgrade over the next couple of weeks but it is worth mentioning that although timber is flagged and feels like a bit of a doubt it does sound like he missed the game against brighton as a bit of a precaution to help manage his load with the amount of games they've got coming up of course a very big game at home to aston villa midweek so to timber's one that I'm going to keep an eye on and we'll look for updates but I'm more expecting that he'll play than maybe someone like richards who still feels like a sizable doubt"

FPL Harry identifies his midfield and defense as areas needing improvement in the coming weeks. He also provides an update on a player, Timber, who is flagged as a doubt, suggesting it might be a precautionary measure rather than a serious injury, which influences his transfer planning.

"I could go to sanchez go for chelsea for their nice upcoming fixtures after bournemouth and city in the next two or i just go to the cheapest one in verbruggen who does rotate really well with dubravka and i actually think verbruggen is currently my favorite and just go from the most expensive goalkeeper to one of the cheapest we have at the moment again i think the long term brighton fixtures look pretty good and for 4 4 million i think he offers really good value"

FPL Harry discusses potential goalkeeper replacements, weighing options like Robert Sánchez and Bart Verbruggen. He expresses a preference for Verbruggen, citing his good rotation with another goalkeeper, Dubravka, and his perceived value at a lower price point, suggesting a move towards cheaper options.

"The only issue with that in my mind is I think I want to do timber to gabriel and once I want gabriel in my team if I do those three moves I've then got to sell david raya and van dijk in order to go for another goalkeeper and gabriel and that is another two transfers that I would have to do to get gabriel back when I don't really have the luxury of the transfers available to me at the moment"

FPL Harry explains a complication in his transfer strategy, specifically regarding the acquisition of Gabriel. He notes that bringing Gabriel into his team would necessitate further transfers to replace his current goalkeeper and another defender, David de Gea, which he feels he cannot afford given his limited transfer budget.

Resources

External Resources

Books

"Fantasy Premier League Tips 2025/26" - Mentioned as the context for the episode's transfer plans.

Articles & Papers

"Live FPL Price Changes" (livefpl.net/prices) - Referenced as a resource for live price changes.
"FFscout Price Changes" (fantasyfootballscout.co.uk) - Referenced as a resource for price changes.
"Plan FPL" (planfpl.com) - Mentioned as a tool for future team planning.
"FPL Rotation Planner" (fplrotationplanner.com) - Referenced as a tool used in videos.
"Plan.LiveFPL.net/prices" (plan.livefpl.net/prices) - Mentioned as a price change predictor.
"Fantasy Football Scout" (fantasyfootballscout.co.uk) - Referenced as a source for a free price change predictor.
"Wrapped.tips/subscribe" (wrapped.tips/subscribe) - Mentioned as a sign-up for a weekly email newsletter.
"linktr.ee/FPL_Harry" (linktr.ee/FPL_Harry) - Referenced as a link to all social media.
"podcastchoices.com/adchoices" (podcastchoices.com/adchoices) - Mentioned in relation to ad choices.

People

Harry Daniels - Mentioned as the contact for partnership and sponsorship inquiries.
FPL Harry - The host of the podcast.

Organizations & Institutions

Fantasy Premier League (FPL) - The subject of the episode's discussion.
Premier League - Mentioned in relation to the league.
Arsenal - Mentioned in relation to team performance and players.
Newcastle - Mentioned in relation to team performance and players.
Everton - Mentioned in relation to team performance and players.
Bournemouth - Mentioned in relation to team performance and players.
Burnley - Mentioned in relation to team performance and players.
Wolves - Mentioned in relation to team performance and players.
Crystal Palace - Mentioned in relation to team performance and players.
Spurs - Mentioned in relation to team performance and players.
Fulham - Mentioned in relation to team performance and players.
Chelsea - Mentioned in relation to team performance and players.
Manchester City - Mentioned in relation to team performance and players.
West Ham - Mentioned in relation to team performance and players.
Brighton - Mentioned in relation to team performance and players.
Brentford - Mentioned in relation to team performance and players.
Aston Villa - Mentioned in relation to team performance and players.
Liverpool - Mentioned in relation to team performance and players.
Nottingham Forest - Mentioned in relation to team performance and players.
Manchester United - Mentioned in relation to team performance and players.
Liberty Mutual Insurance Company - Mentioned in relation to car insurance.
Meyer - Mentioned in relation to grocery deals.

Websites & Online Resources

fantasy.premierleague.com/lea... (fantasy.premierleague.com/lea...) - Referenced as a link to a subscriber league.
fplchallenge.premierleague.co... (fplchallenge.premierleague.co...) - Referenced as a link to a fantasy challenge league.
linktr.ee/FPL_Harry (linktr.ee/FPL_Harry) - Referenced as a link to all social media.
liberty.com (liberty.com) - Mentioned in relation to car insurance.

Other Resources

FPL GW19 Transfer Plans - The main topic of the episode.
FPL Ranks - Mentioned in relation to previous performance.
Subscriber League - Mentioned with a league code.
Fantasy Challenge League - Mentioned with a league code.
FPL Tools - A general category for useful resources.
Future Plan your team - A specific function of a tool.
FPL Rotation Planner - A specific tool.
Price Change Predictor - A specific tool.
Social Links - A general category for social media.
Channel Membership - Mentioned as a way to get extra benefits.
Twitter - Mentioned as a social media platform.
Contact Me - A section for inquiries.
Partnerships or sponsorships - Mentioned as a reason for contact.
Personal Emails - Mentioned as a contact method.
Timestamps - Provided for episode navigation.
Intro - The beginning of the episode.
My First GW19 Lineup - A segment of the episode.
How to get Saka back... - A segment of the episode.
Exact Money 3 FTs... - A segment of the episode.
Other Potential Moves - A segment of the episode.
Best Upcoming Fixtures - A segment of the episode.
Newcastle Players - A segment of the episode.
GW19 Team Selection - A segment of the episode.
FPL - A hashtag used for the episode.
Fantasy Premier League - A hashtag used for the episode.
Fantasy Challenge League - Mentioned with a league code.
Early booking deals - Mentioned in relation to vacation homes.
Tito's Handmade Vodka - Mentioned as a beverage.
Window treatments - Mentioned in relation to blinds.
Year-end blowout sale - Mentioned in relation to blinds.
DIY - Mentioned in relation to home projects.
Free expert design help - Mentioned in relation to blinds.
100% satisfaction guarantee - Mentioned in relation to blinds.
Injuries - Mentioned as a reason for transfer plans.
Defense - Mentioned in relation to player availability.
Midfield - Mentioned in relation to player availability.
Forwards - Mentioned in relation to player availability.
Free transfers - Mentioned as a resource for team changes.
Fixture run - Mentioned in relation to team performance.
January transfer window - Mentioned in relation to player movement.
Set pieces - Mentioned in relation to player performance.
Goalkeeper replacements - Discussed as a transfer option.
Defender replacements - Discussed as a transfer option.
Mid-price range - Mentioned in relation to player costs.
Upcoming fixtures - Mentioned as a factor in player selection.
Price rising - Mentioned in relation to player values.
Press conference - Mentioned in relation to team news.
Game week deadlines - Mentioned as a time constraint.
Rotation - Mentioned in relation to defensive strategy.
Strength and depth - Mentioned as a team building goal.
Rolled ankle - Mentioned as a player injury.
Captaincy - Discussed in relation to player selection.
Vice captaincy - Discussed in relation to player selection.
Comments section - Mentioned as a place for viewer interaction.
Customizing car insurance - Mentioned in relation to Liberty Mutual.
Celebration staples - Mentioned in relation to Meyer.
Specialty charcuterie meats - Mentioned in relation to Meyer.
Coca Cola and Pepsi products - Mentioned in relation to Meyer.
Potato and tortilla chips - Mentioned in relation to Meyer.
Holiday and game day festivities - Mentioned in relation to Meyer.