FPL gameweek 35 is the time to be ruthless. With just four gameweeks left, every transfer needs to help you move up, not just hold your place. A few popular names have done their job already, but the combination of injuries, poor fixtures and falling underlying numbers means it’s time to cash out. Here are five players I’d be happy to sell before the deadline.
Dominic Solanke (7.3m)
Tottenham striker Solanke is an unlucky sell for those who backed him in Gameweek 34, but the muscular injury changes everything. Even if the issue isn’t long term, you can’t afford to carry a forward who may miss time in the final stretch. Aston Villa away is followed by a run that includes Leeds, Chelsea and Everton, and that simply isn’t the sort of schedule you want to trust for a relegation-threatened side. Spurs need points, but Solanke’s fitness makes him too risky to hold. In the run-in, you want active forwards, not uncertainty. This is one of the clearest sells on the board.
Declan Rice (7.2m)
Arsenal midfielder Rice has been a brilliant season-long asset, but right now he’s not giving enough to justify keeping him if you’re trying to make a late push. The attacking numbers are too quiet, and averaging 8 DEFCON per start over the last six gameweeks isn’t enough to make up for that. He’ll still nick the odd assist from corners or set pieces, but that’s not enough when so many midfielders have higher ceilings and better fixtures. If you’re chasing rank, this is the moment to move from solid to explosive. Rice has done great work, but the final weeks are about upside and therefore he needs to go.
Anthony Gordon (7.4m)
Gordon is another tricky one because the fixtures look good at first glance. Brighton, West Ham and Nottingham Forest should be decent on paper, but all three are also in form and capable of frustrating Newcastle if they’re not at their best. Gordon’s minutes aren’t locked either, especially if he’s only just returning to training. That makes him hard to trust when you need clarity. Newcastle have been poor lately, and with so many other midfielders and forwards offering more certainty, Gordon feels like a sell rather than a hold. If he’s not fully nailed, the fixture appeal starts to fade quickly.
Xavi Simons (6.5m)
This is a cruel one. Netherlands international Simons was a brilliant one-week punt last week, but a torn ACL has brought his season to an abrupt end and ended his World Cup dream. That instantly turns him from interesting differential to dead weight in your squad. At this stage of the season, every spot matters, and carrying a player who won’t play again is the opposite of what you need. His absence also removes one of the more exciting differentials from the midfield pool, but the important thing now is just moving on immediately. It’s a simple sell, no second thoughts required. Free the slot and put it to work.
James Tarkowski (5.7m)
Tarkowski has been a trusted defensive option for a long time, but the underlying numbers have fallen off hard. Averaging just 7.2 DEFCON per start over the last six gameweeks is nowhere near enough for a defender you’re relying on to chip in. Add in a game against a City side still chasing the title, and the case for holding him gets weaker fast. At 5.7m, you can do better. This is the stage of the season where defenders need either clean-sheet potential or strong DEFCON numbers. Tarkowski’s giving you too little of either of these right now.
