DREAM TEAM managers are ditching some of the game’s most popular stars ahead of Gameweek 36.
At the time of writing, Alexander Isak (£5.7m), Mohamed Salah (£6.8m) and Bukayo Saka (£6m) are the three most transferred-out players this week.
These are seismic transfers as all are among the most successful assets in the game.
Salah is the outright best performer this season with a whopping 489 points to his name while Isak ranks fourth overall having amassed 336 points.
Saka missed three months of the campaign with a hamstring injury but still ranks ninth among midfielders – only Bruno Fernandes (£7m) and Bryan Mbeumo (£4.6m) average more points-per-game in his position.
Needless to say, no gaffer should replace players of this pedigree without good reason.
Neither Liverpool, Newcastle nor Arsenal are among the select group of teams with two fixtures to fulfil this coming Gameweek and so it’s stands to reason that some Dream Team bosses are turning their backs on the aforementioned names in order to recruit the likes of Eberechi Eze (£5.1m), Erling Haaland (£7.8m), Fernandes and other assets in line to pull double duty.
The Magpies are due to visit the Emirates this Sunday in what is undeniably a tricky match-up on paper, hence why their Swedish striker is losing popularity.
However, it’s worth remembering that Isak has already scored two goals against the Gunners this season, one in the league and another in the Carabao Cup.
The fact Sunday’s headline fixtures pits second against third is clearly a factor in Saka’s declining ownership too but gaffers following this path may be guilty of short-sightedness.
Arsenal’s No7 may have a difficult fixture in Gameweek 36 but he’s due to finish the season with a trip to Southampton in Gameweek 37.
Saints held Manchester City to a 0-0 draw last time out but the broader picture is a bleak one; Saints have mustered just 12 points to date having lost the most games and conceded the most goals.
Most right-minded Dream Team bosses will fancy Saka to bank his fair share of points at St Mary’s on the final day of the league campaign.
It’s perfectly feasible to ditch the England winger for Gameweek 36 and bring him back in for Gameweek 37 but such a ploy would mean using two of the very few transfers remaining to play hokey-cokey with a single player, limiting strategic options elsewhere.
In short, it’s probably worth sticking by Saka for the Newcastle game with a view to targeting the away day to Southampton, thereby saving precious transfers better used on other individuals.
As for Salah, he may be easier to let go despite his hugely impressive record of 33 goals and 23 assists in 2024/25.
Truth be told, the Egyptian superstar has slacked off in recent weeks.
A goal at home to Spurs and an assist against West Ham are his only goal involvements since mid-March, over a period of nine games.
With Liverpool’s Premier League triumph confirmed, Salah and company are in party mode – the squad have flown to Dubai for some rest and relaxation ahead of Monday night’s game against Brighton.
The prolific 32-year-old obviously has the capacity to punish gaffers who ditch him but replacing him with a more motivated alternative with an additional fixture is a justifiable decision.
It will be interesting to see how the final two Gameweeks of the season play out now that a sizeable chunk of gaffers have decided to get rid of the game’s most notable players.
Removing Isak, Salah and Saka might work out but all three have the ability to make their doubters look very foolish.
