From the very start when FPL 2024/25 was launched, Alexander Isak emerged as the most popular option. At a point in time, he had almost 60% ownership. The reason was simple. Isak is up there with the best strikers in the league. Only Erling Haaland can legitimately claim to be better than the Swede and he’s priced at a record £15m in the game. Thus it is unsurprising that most people are going for Isak.
However, after the first two weeks, these people have been left a little disappointed. Newcastle have had a relatively straightforward couple of fixtures against newly promoted Southampton and then Bournemouth. From that Isak has only left with a total of 7 points and 1 assist. Now, in the next 8 games, Newcastle have 4 away games. The Magpies have generally struggled on the road in the last couple of seasons. The 4 games that they have at home are against Spurs, Manchester City, Brighton and Arsenal. This raises questions about what to do regarding Isak. Should you keep or sell?
KEEP
Although this opinion is losing strength rapidly, keeping him in is not a bad option. Against Bournemouth, he had the least touches but still took 5 shots, all from close range. In the first game against Southampton, the Magpies were down to 10 men after a red card to Fabian Schar after which they barely saw the ball. Still, Isak managed to get an assist. Plus another thing to consider is that his record in big games isn’t bad. Particularly against Spurs, he has scored in his last two appearances. So an option could be keeping him for GW3 and GW4 at the very least.
SELL
This is the easier and the more obvious solution. There are multiple good options so selling him and bringing in another striker could be a sensible outcome. Aston Villa have a great fixture list and Ollie Watkins therefore could be a solid choice. Another choice could be that of Kai Havertz of Arsenal. Both these players would be available at a similar price to Isak. Managers could also go for a cheaper option upfront and upgrade elsewhere. By choosing a cheaper striker like say Jorgen Strand Larsen of Wolves, one could easily upgrade a cheaper midfielder to someone like Kevin de Bruyne or a cheaper defender to Trent Alexander Arnold. Isak is worth a lot of money so even if he does perform in the next 8 games, the value could perhaps be recouped from elsewhere.
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