Transfer recommendations for Gameweek 20: Morgan Rogers & Phil Foden among smart options

THE return of the Champions League and Europa League means six clubs are set to pull double duty in Gameweek 20.

Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United will also play twice in Gameweek 21 so Dream Team managers would be wise to focus on this sextet for the remainder of January.

You don’t need us to tell you that the likes of Mohamed Salah (£8.1m), Erling Haaland (£8m) and Bruno Fernandes (£6.2m) are well placed to provide points but allow us to present some transfer recommendations that aren’t quite as obvious.

Phil Foden (£6.2m)

Manchester City’s No47 might be the biggest name who currently features in fewer than 10% of teams.

Pep Guardiola’s side still have problems in defence but their attack once again looks difficult to resist.

Foden has banked 60 points in his last six games via four goals and two assists; he’s not shy of a bonus point either.

City are due to face Ipswich and PSG this coming Gameweek and they can’t afford to ease up in the Champions League with their spot in the knockout stage at serious risk.

The England international is very expensive and so some Dream Team bosses might consider Savinho (£4.3m) a more realistic avenue into City’s midfield.

Spurs Stars

It might sound counterproductive to heavily rely on a team currently 13th in the table, fresh off an unconvincing FA win over non-league Tamworth and defeat in the North London derby, but hear us out.

Ange Postecoglou’s side are far from the complete package but several players have made waves in Dream Team this season.

Pedro Porro (£4.2m) and Dominic Solanke (£4.6m) rank fourth in their respective positions while Brennan Johnson (£3.7m), James Maddison (£4.1m) and Dejan Kulusevski (£4.3m) are all among the top seven midfielders.

Antonin Kinsky (£2.8m) made fans sweat on a few occasions at the Emirates but the fact is the Czech goalkeeper has been a Dream Team asset for two Gameweeks and racked up 25 points.

Spurs are due to play Everton, Hoffenheim (16th in the Bundesliga), Leicester and Elfsborg before the end of the month.

Morgan Rogers (£3.5m)

The Aston Villa midfielder is a class act who has offered excellent value for money since August.

Rogers was the most transferred-out player prior to Gameweek 18 because of a suspension but now that he’s back to playing almost every minute that matters for the Villains, gaffers who ditched him should consider bringing him back into mix.

Managers who wisely recruited the silky 22-year-old prior to Gameweek 19 were rewarded with a 17-point haul.

He scored the winner against West Ham in the cup and brilliantly assisted the game’s only goal at Everton on Wednesday night, finished off by Ollie Watkins (£5m).

Gameweek 20 isn’t all that favourable for Villa as it features away days to Arsenal and Monaco but the broader picture shows Rogers with four fixtures to fulfil at a time when most teams will play just twice – West Ham and Celtic are due in the midlands before the end of the month.

Chris Wood (£3.9m)

We always try to include leftfield option and who better than Nottingham Forest’s talismanic target man for Gameweek 20?

Granted, the New Zealander doesn’t have a midweek fixture but on current form he will back himself against lowly Southampton at the City Ground on Sunday.

Wood has arguably been the most clinical finisher in the Premier League this season with 13 goals from 37 shots.

For comparison, Cole Palmer (£6.1m) has scored 14 league goals from 74 shots.

Assuming high-flying Forest are able to engineer plenty of chances against relegation-bound Saints, Wood could easily overtake several Golden Boot rivals come full time.

Without additional fixtures the 33 year-old striker’s long-term viability is limited but he’s a tempting option for Gameweek 20.

Calling back to last Thursday’s transfer tips, our one-week punt suggestions, Eberechi Eze (£4.9m) and Daniel Munoz (£4.2m), combined for 38 points in Gameweek 19 – proof that there’s more than one way to play this game!