"Top Bargain Defenders for Your Dream Team: Tarik Muharemovic and More!"

DREAM TEAM managers are partial to a cheap defender and with good reason.

Identifying a bargain at the back is an effective way of navigating the first few Gameweeks while also building budget.

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We’ve picked out five defenders in the £2.5m price range capable of punching above their weight.

Tarik Muharemovic (£2.5m)

Backing new signings comes with risk but Leeds seem to have acquired a real gem from Sassuolo.

Muharemovic will replace Pascal Struijk (£3m), now with Brighton, alongside Joe Rodon (£2.5m) and Jaka Bijol (£3.5m) in a physical back three, backed up by James Trafford (£3m) between the sticks.

The 23-year-old makes plenty of blocks, clearances and tackles — he also scored a spectacular overhead kick in a pre-season win over Augsburg at Elland Road.

The Whites will face Nottingham Forest (x2), Brentford, Brighton, Newcastle and Crystal Palace before the international break and so Daniel Farke has every reason to be hopeful of some early clean sheets.

Kristoffer Ajer (£2.5m)

Those who underestimated Brentford last season often paid the price.

Under Keith Andrews’ guidance, the Bees performed well above expectations and only just missed out on European qualification on goal difference.

Sepp van den Berg’s (£3m) injury means Ajer is expected to be a starter for at least the first two months of the campaign.

Therefore, the Norway international should be considered a potential bargain.

Brentford’s first six fixtures: Spurs (h), Birmingham (a), Leeds (a), Sunderland (h), Bournemouth (a), Chelsea (h).

Reinildo Mandava (£2.5m)

A starting left-back for a Europa League side at £2.5m… now that is a gift.

Reinildo is prone to a yellow card and far from the most attack-minded full-back available but at such an affordable price he might be a savvy roll of the dice for Sunderland’s first three games: Ipswich (a), Fulham (h), Brentford (a).

The Black Cats will have European commitments from mid-September too.

Trai Hume (£2.5m)

Reinildo is not the only cheap Sunderland defender worthy of consideration.

Hume is likely to start at right-back against the Tractor Boys but it’s not inconceivable he is selected as a winger.

Regis Le Bris has not shied away from using the Northern Ireland international as an attacker in the past.

He may not be a viable long-term option but Hume has the potential to start brightly and earn a useful price hike.

Ola Aina (£2.5m)

A dramatic managerial merry-go-round has shifted Oliver Glasner to Nottingham Forest and expectation is high among the City Ground faithful.

The Austrian tactician won the FA Cup and Conference at Crystal Palace using a well-oiled 3-4-2-1 system.

If he is to implement the same set-up at Forest then Dream Team managers should pay close attention to the wing-backs.

Daniel Munoz (£5m) was a phenomenon under Glasner and while it would be unreasonable to expect the same level of returns from Aina, the Nigerian defender could offer serious value for money if he comes into form.

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