As we speak, there are just about three weeks to go until the start of the 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) season. As usual, we will be releasing a series of in-depth club reviews once we get closer to the season’s opening match on August 16th, and as a warm-up for that, we’re publishing a special EURO 2024 recap today. After all, the 2024 European Championship concluded a bit over a week ago with Spain getting the better of England in the final. In this piece, we are highlighting some of the players who stood out during the tournament and who are available selection in FPL as well. Plenty of managers will be looking for players who got a boost from their performances at the Euros and they might just give your squad that extra edge right from the start.
England vs. Spain: the 2024 final
Of course, seeing as England made the final of EURO 2024, it makes sense to start with them and their final rivals, Spain, who at the start of Euro 2024 were not as fancied as England with online betting firms like betpanda uk but due to their performances during the tournament were in the end favoured to win the final. No less than 24 of the Three Lions players are members of the Premier League, as are three Spaniards. If we are talking about confidence, the Spanish players should be bringing back sky-high levels to their clubs and the same will go for most of the England players, despite not lifting the trophy in the end. At the same time, do keep in mind that those same players might be a bit more tired than other non-EURO 2024 assets and that some of them might even get some additional holidays from their respective clubs.
SPAIN
At first glance, all three of the Spanish Premier League finalists look like more than decent fantasy picks. First one on the list is goalkeeper David Raya (£5.5m), who featured as a reserve behind Spain’s number one Unai Simon but is expected to start in goal for Arsenal this season. With a price tag of £5.5m, Raya is definitely not considered a bargain goalie, but he should provide a steady stream of FPL points throughout the season. During the last campaign, the Spaniard took 135 FPL points from 32 league starts, recording 16 clean sheets and conceding 24 goals in the process.
The brand-new European champions also provide us with an intriguing option in midfield in the person of Rodri (£6.5m). The nailed-on midfield engine of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City won “Player of the Tournament” at EURO 2024 after an exceptionally impressive season with 8 goals and 10 assists from 34 league starts, for a total of 159 FPL points. Will he be able to replicate such a season in terms of attacking returns?
The third and final EURO 2024 winner in the Premier League is Marc Cucurella (£5.0m). The Chelsea left-back came into the tournament after an up-and-down season in the Premier League, but rapidly consolidated his starting spot for Spain at the Euros. This culminated with a decisive assist in the final for Mikel Oyarzabal’s winner against England. In our opinion, it would be logical for new Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca to give Cucurella a run at the starting spot, but considering the criticism on the left-back’s performances last season, it remains to be seen what his situation will be come Gameweek 1.
ENGLAND
Seeing as the England roster featured 24 Premier League players, we will be highlighting a few of them according to position, with a special focus on playing time during the Euros.
In goal, Jordan Pickford (£5.0) was and is the main guy in goal, as he is for Everton as well. Despite conceding 51 goals last season, he still managed 153 FPL points, in great part thanks to his 13 clean sheets. Those fantasy managers looking for a reasonably price set-and-forget keeper undoubtedly have Pickford on their FPL radar.
In defence, we’ve got Manchester City stars John Stones (£5.5m) and Kyle Walker (£5.5m) who stand out, as they are expected to feature heavily for their club this season as well. Both men were integral to England’s EURO 2024 journey and can look back on a great run. Perhaps the most appealing Three Lions defender is actually Marc Guehi (£4.5m) though, who is still at Crystal Palace and still carrying an affordable price tag. Besides that, it’s also interesting that Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.0m), who did not feature at EURO 2024 as much as he would’ve liked, is still listed as a defender in FPL this upcoming season.
Following his largely disappointing performances during the Euros, we’re not sure how many fantasy managers will be opting for Phil Foden (£9.5m) in Gameweek 1. It should be noted though that he started every EURO 2024 game and had a magnificent 2023/24 campaign, scoring 19 goals and 8 assists. For those who like to bet on EURO 2024 for their GW1 squad, Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka (£10.0m) and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer (£10.5m) perhaps make more sense, though both come at a heavy price. More budget-friendly Three Lions midfield picks include Declan Rice (£6.5m) and Conor Gallagher (£6.0), whose goal threat is also considerably lower than the previously named players.
In attack, Ollie Watkins (£9.0m) looks set to run rampage once again this season. His relatively affordable price tag has already convinced more than 56% of FPL managers to bring in the Aston Villa striker for Gameweek 1. If Ivan Toney (£7.5m), who is currently still at Brentford, stays in the Premier League this summer, he should also be on your watchlist.
Outside of the final
With the Premier League amongst the very best football leagues on Earth, it only makes sense for us to take a quick look at interesting FPL prospects from EURO 2024 in other teams besides finalists England and Spain.
CODY GAKPO – Netherlands
The Liverpool attacker turned out to be semi-finalist Holland’s most valuable player, scoring 3 goals and giving 1 assist. It will remain to be seen how fast new Liverpool manager Arne Slot can make his mark on the Reds, but the stars seem to be aligning for a key role on the left flank for his compatriot.
BERNARDO SILVA – Portugal
Perhaps the best Portuguese player at EURO 2024, even though he managed just a single goal and no assists. Then again, no player on the Portugal roster was directly involved in more than one goal during the tournament. Bernardo Silva (£6.5m) got 6 goals and 9 assists from 29 league starts in the Prem last season though, and his price makes him an option worth considering.
WILLIAM SALIBA – France
William Saliba (£6.0m) was already a popular defensive pick last season and we don’t think that will change for this upcoming season. He was a nailed-on starter for France and on top of that boasted the highest completed pass ratio (96%) of any player at the Euros. His premium price tag has not stopped more than 41% of fantasy managers from bringing the Arsenal defender in already.
BART VERBRUGGEN – Brighton
Those managers looking for a budget goalkeeper who is coming off a great EURO 2024 and is set as a starter for his club don’t have to look further than Netherlands and Brighton number one Bart Verbruggen (£4.5m). He cemented himself firmly as Holland’s first choice and we would be extremely surprised if new Seagulls manager Fabian Hurzeler picks Jason Steele over him this season.
EBERECHI EZE – Crystal Palace
Not a starter for England at EURO 2024, but it was his debut at an international tournament, during which he still got about 100 minutes of playing time. We hope this will bring his already outstanding qualities to the next level as Eberechi Eze (£7.0m) is set to be Crystal Palace’s key man in the Premier League for the coming season.