3 Newcastle United players to have in your FPL side: Fantasy Premier League | FPL Scout
It's been a summer of change at the Newcastle United. Two months ago, there was a renowned sense of optimism at the club when Rafa Benitez looked like he'd extend his contract and the Tyneside club was also on the verge of a change of ownership.
Mike Ashley has been subject to widespread criticism and in recent years, his relationship with the fans has been sour to say the least.
As the 54-year-old failed to agree terms with Benitez which led to the Spaniard walking away from the club, his reputation among the fans was strained further.
The big takeover from the Bin Zayed group reportedly fell through in the last moment, leaving the club in a state of turmoil.
Despite their summer getting off to the worst of starts, the club have shown intent to return to a competitive level in the Premier League.
Steve Bruce, a boyhood Newcastle fan and a manager who comes with top-flight experience in abundance, was chosen to take over the reins from Benitez and the Englishman was promised to be adequately backed in the transfer market.
After shattering their long-standing transfer record for Miguel Almiron in the January transfer window, the club would go on to do so for the second time this year with the capture of Brazilian striker Joelinton.
The 22-year-old joined from Hoffenheim for a fee believed to be in the region of £40 million, surpassing Almiron's £21 million transfer fee comfortably.
Allan Saint-Maximin and Jetro Willems also joined the club as they look to fill the holes left by Jose Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez.
With the club moving into a new era under a new manager, the season promises to be an interesting one for the Tyneside club as they look to extend their stay in the Premier League.
Since their promotion to the Premier League, the likes of Salomon Rondon, Ayoze Perez, Fabian Schar, Jamaal Lascelles, and Martin Dubravka have been popular options in Fantasy Premier League but it remains to be seen if Benitez's untimely departure causes skepticism among managers.
With the forthcoming season of the Premier League right around the corner, let's look at three of the best Newcastle United players to have in your FPL teams.
#1 Fabian Schar - £5 million
Throughout his career, Rafa Benitez has developed a reputation of nabbing defensive bargains and he was at it once again with the signing of Fabian Schar in the summer of 2018.
Signed for a meager fee of £3 million, the Swiss international made his move from Deportivo La Coruna in Spain after the club faced relegation to the second-tier.
Although he started the season slowly, the 27-year-old took time to settle and kept growing in stature as the season progressed.
Schar played an instrumental role as Newcastle avoided the drop once again and was one of the standout players since the turn of the year.
Aside from his defensive ability, the former Hoffenheim man also made decisive contributions in the other end of the pitch, as he went on to register four goals and an assist in the Premier League.
Priced at a reasonable £5 million, Schar is the obvious choice if managers are on the lookout for players from the Newcastle rearguard.
#2 Joelinton - £6 million
Unsurprisingly, the club's record signing features on the list. Judging by his exploits at Hoffenheim last season, Joelinton is likely to be the most popular Newcastle player among FPL managers.
The Brazilian striker sealed his record-breaking move from Germany and comes with a reputation of combining doggedness and technique with incredible efficiency.
Although the comparisons may seem far-fetched currently, his style of play has drawn parallels with countryman Roberto Firmino.
Aside from his goal-scoring prowess, the 22-year-old works tirelessly off the ball and puts in a shift for his team.
Joelinton registered 11 goals and nine assists in 35 appearances in all competitions last season, a fantastic record for a player who played his season in the German top-flight.
Priced at £6 million, he represents a good budget option for FPL managers despite Newcastle torrid run to start the season.
#3 Allan Saint-Maximin - £5.5 million
Allan Saint-Maximin, one of Newcastle United's newest acquisitions, is an interesting option. Be it for his antics off the pitch, his outrageous ability on it or his Gucci headband, the Frenchman is always in the spotlight and is never far away from the headlines.
The 22-year-old was signed for a fee of £16.5 million for Nice and comes with a reputation of being a loose-cannon.
The explosive winger, although blessed with natural ability in abundance, has never shown the work-ethic required to fulfill his potential and has drawn comparisons with the likes of Mario Balotelli and Hatem Ben-Arfa.
Despite his bad-boy reputation, the Tyneside club did not hesitate to part with a sizable fee to acquire his services and the Frenchman will be eager to repay the club's faith in him.
At £5.5 million, he's worth a shout simply because of what he could offer if he's at his destructive best.
Fantasy Premier League is about calculative risks and choosing the odd differential and at a bargain price, Saint-Maximin could be worth a punt if managers are on the lookout for a budget attacker to complete the squad.
So, after a lot of deliberation and stats-digging, we've picked out three players from Newcastle United who could go on to become decent FPL options.
Do any of these players feature in your teams? Let us know in the comments below!
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