Transfer recommendations ahead of Gameweek 9 – Bargain Liverpool defender a tempting differential option

DREAM TEAM gaffers have had the international break to mull over their transfers ahead of Gameweek 9 but nothing’s set in stone until the action gets underway.

We won’t waste your time by suggesting the obvious candidates – Mohamed Salah (£6.5m), Martin Odegaard (£5.1m), Kieran Trippier (£5.6m), etc – but here are some alternative options to consider.

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Konstantinos Tsimikas (£2.7m)

Early reports suggest Andy Robertson (£3.9m) may be sidelined for quite some time with a shoulder injury.

The Scotland captain suffered the setback on international duty and may be out for up to ten weeks if surgery is deemed necessary.

While that’s clearly a blow for the energetic defender and the Reds generally, it leaves the door open for Tsimikas to prove his worth at left-back.

The Greece international has always been Robertson’s understudy and so Dream Team bosses have rightly been reluctant to back him due to insufficient game time.

However, 19-year-old Luke Chambers, the other left-back in the squad, has also picked up an ill-timed injury so all signs point to a long run of starts for Tsimikas.

From a Dream Team perspective, this coincides with a relatively favourable run of fixtures for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Liverpool face Everton, Toulouse (x2), Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Luton and Brentford before a trip to Manchester City at the end of November.

Tsimikas isn’t as reliable as Robertson in defence but he’s not shy of getting forward and supplies plenty of crosses.

The 27-year-old earned 22 points across his last three appearances when selected – including seven bonus points – so he has the potential to provide healthy returns in the coming weeks.

And in terms of value for money, at £2.7m he’s very affordable and his current ownership of 0.4% makes him a massive differential option.

You may be able to catch your Mini League rivals unaware with this transfer but there is an element of risk.

Rasmus Hojlund (£3.9m)

First things first, it should be acknowledged that there’s no shortage of strikers for Dream Team gaffers to select from right now.

Julian Alvarez (£4.7m) and Erling Haaland (£7.7m) are top two performers in the game overall, with Salah not far behind, while Alexander Isak (£4m), Ollie Watkins (£4.3m) and Son Heung-min (£4.8m) have all enjoyed themselves in recent weeks.

That being said, Manchester United’s No11 looks to be appealing alternative for the weeks ahead.

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Granted, Gameweek 10 looks rough (Manchester derby followed by Newcastle in the Carabao Cup) but a trip to Bramall Lane this weekend is about as friendly as it gets.

Sheffield United have lost seven of their eight league games since promotion and they tend to give up a lot of chances in central areas, exactly where Hojlund will occupy this coming Saturday.

The Blades have also looked vulnerable to crosses from open play and set-pieces – the Danish forward’s 6ft 3in frame should cause problems.

Erik ten Hag’s will then take on Copenhagen, Hojlund’s former club, in the Champions League – narrative demands a goal in that one.

Looking ahead, Man United also face Fulham, Copenhagen (again), Luton and Everton before the end of November.

On a similar note, gaffers who have kept the faith in Bruno Fernandes (£5.8m) will expect just rewards in the coming weeks, starting with a double-digit return against Sheffield United.

Rodri (£3.9m)

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Man City have won every game their metronomic midfielder has played this season and lost every game without him.

There are other factors to consider but the Spaniard’s influence is impossible to deny, which is why the Etihad faithful will be thankful his suspension has been served in full.

From a Dream Team perspective, £3.9m is a reasonable price for Rodri right now, a knock-on effect of his red card against Nottingham Forest in Gameweek 6.

The treble winner averages a goal involvement every 164 minutes this season – good going for a somebody fans think of primarily as a defensive midfielder – and he ranks highly for shots on target as well.

Naturally, he was among the most transferred-out players during his suspension but it will be interesting to see how many gaffers bring him back in now he’s available domestically.

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