The Hard Tackle discusses potential options to replace Son Heung-min and Mohamed Salah in FPL ahead of their upcoming international commitments.
The second half of the 2023/24 Premier League season begins this weekend. In FPL, managers will scramble to get their teams in order ahead of the Saturday deadline. But two upcoming international competitions will be on their minds as we head into 2024.
The Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on January 13 and will be a month-long affair, lasting until February 11. On the other hand, the AFC Asian Cup will begin a day earlier on January 12 and end on February 10. With the two competitions coinciding, the participants will miss Premier League action between Gameweek 21 and Gameweek 24.
Clubs can have their players back before Gameweek 24 if their national teams do not make it to the latter stages of the two competitions. Meanwhile, two players under the radar in FPL will be Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min.
While others, like Andre Onana, Hwang Hee-chan, and Mohammed Kudus, are popular in the game, Salah and Son have heavy ownership numbers upwards of 40% in FPL. So, with that in mind, The Hard Tackle lists four candidates to replace Salah and Son when they leave for their respective international competitions in a few days.
Richarlison
We begin our list with the direct replacement for Son Heung-min, both in FPL and at Tottenham. The player in question has stepped up considerably in the last few weeks, repaying Ange Postecoglou’s faith in him. We are talking about Richarlison.
The Brazilian international was disastrous at the onset of the 2023/24 season, failing to make his mark. Then, Postecoglou revealed Richarlison’s mental health battles, which shined the light on his struggles. But he has gradually regained his form, showing why Tottenham shelled out a big sum to secure his services.
The former Everton attacker has produced a haul in his last three outings, amassing 32 points in this period. With Son Heung-min unavailable for a few games, the onus will be on Richarlison to consistently deliver the goods. But his form suggests he should be a worthwhile investment in your FPL teams.
Jarrod Bowen
Our list continues with another mid-priced midfielder. But unlike Richarlison, he has been in his element throughout the 2023/24 season thus far. We are talking about Jarrod Bowen, who has been West Ham United’s talisman this term.
Bowen has an excellent record in the Premier League this season, amassing 11 goals and one assist in 17 outings. One of the most prolific players in the top flight this season, the English international has raised his performance levels considerably in 2023/24.
While he does not blow his opponents away with multiple goals, he is a bankable asset who will deliver the goods in most games. So, for £7.9m, he can be a solid investment in your FPL teams for a few weeks, if not for the remainder of the campaign.
Martin Odegaard
Considering Bukayo Saka features in well over half of the FPL teams this season, we have earmarked his teammate as an alternative and a potential replacement for either Mohamed Salah or Son Heung-min. We are talking about Martin Odegaard.
The Arsenal captain is actually in better form than Saka, with the English international blowing hot and cold in the last few weeks. Meanwhile, Odegaard has emphatically come out of his slump to produce a haul in three of his most recent five outings.
Meanwhile, Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures provide an opportunity to rack up the points, with the next four games having an FPL Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR) of 2. So, he can be a solid addition to your squads.
Dwight McNeil
Our final pick of this column might surprise a few readers. But it is worth noting that Dwight McNeil is the most in-form midfielder, according to numbers produced by the official FPL app, amassing an average of 6.3 points in recent outings.
The former Burnley winger has been one of the catalysts in Everton’s recent upturn in fortunes. While the Toffees have lost their last two games, McNeil has been on song, producing a haul against Manchester City earlier this week by providing the assist for Jack Harrison’s goal.
Meanwhile, only one of Everton’s next eight fixtures has an FDR over 3. So, at a meagre price of just £5.4m, he can be a low-cost replacement for Mohamed Salah or Son Heung-min while having the potential to match the two stalwarts’ ceiling.
