6 budget midfielders you MUST consider for your 2026-27 FPL team: Wilson, Mainoo… | OneFootball

The new FPL season is almost upon us, meaning it’s time for those final squad tweaks. If you’re looking for value in midfield, these players could be worth a closer look.

We’ve identified six budget midfielders (priced £6.5m and lower) that you should consider putting in your FPL team this season.

Harry Wilson (£6.5m)

At £6.5million, we’re admittedly stretching the definition of ‘budget’, but we had to include Leeds United’s summer signing alongside some more modest options. And this one wouldn’t exactly test your budget like a Bruno Fernandes.

Wilson ranked seventh in total points registered by midfielders last season, ahead of the likes of Bukayo Saka and Bryan Mbeumo, and he’s considerably cheaper than the names above him.

There is an argument that Wilson peaked and will suffer a regression to the mean, particularly if you get granular with it and look at his xG output.

But we look at Wilson’s dead-ball deliveries, and Leeds United’s team of 6ft giants, plus their existing record from set pieces (only Arsenal scored more last season). That combination makes Wilson’s assist potential particularly enticing.

Emiliano Buendia (£6.0m)

The Argentinian was superb for Aston Villa as they finished last season strongly, particularly as they cruised to victory in the Europa League final.

Unlucky to have missed out on the World Cup, he’s come back in pre-season with a point to prove and looked Villa’s best player in their friendlies. Unai Emery loves him, and expect him to play a bigger role following the summer departure of Morgan Rogers.

There are no guarantees he’ll remain a regular all season, but he’s certainly worth considering from Gameweek 1. Villa’s opening run is a mixed bag, although that Gameweek 3 trip to Hull City has already caught our eye.

Mamadou Sangare (£5.5m)

Last season Elliot Anderson was the fifth highest-ranked midfielder despite not registering particularly eye-catching attacking returns (four goals and five assists).

Where he did excel was in terms of DEFCON (defensive contributions) with off-the-charts output for things like blocks, tackles, clearances and interceptions.

The England international remains the same player, and that out-of-possession work will remain a key facet of his game, but expect Man City under Enzo Maresca to dominate possession and his points on that front to drop accordingly. A £6.5million looks steep when you consider that.

Really, you ought to be asking who will be this season’s Anderson? Brentford’s record signing Sangare looks a very solid candidate. The Malian built his reputation on his exceptional ball-winning output at Lens, and expect him to rack up healthy DEFCON returns as he takes on ground duels with relish.

Florentino (£5.0m)

Another defensive midfielder, there’s a reason that Florentino costs just £5.0million. Don’t expect to see him bombing forward and contributing much of anything in the final third.

But if you want a bench-filler who can occasionally come in to rack you up some modest returns, the Portuguese midfielder looks a safe enough bet. Last season at Burnley, he earned defensive contribution points in 14 of his 25 starts.

Gary O’Neil’s Ipswich Town have their work cut out to remain in the division, so expect Florentino to once again be busy doing the dirty work.

James Garner (£6.0m)

We’ve taken a few punts in this list. New signings, new roles, new managers.

If you’re more conservatively minded when it comes to FPL, which – let’s be honest – is usually the route to success, you could go for Garner. A player where you know exactly what you’re getting. Same manager, same team, same role.

The 25-year-old Everton midfielder notched 159 points in total last season, meaning his price of £6.0million looks excellent value on paper.

Unfortunately, a groin injury has kept him out of pre-season, and he isn’t expected to start Everton’s relatively forgiving opener at home to Crystal Palace.

But he isn’t expected to be out for too long, and he’ll surely come straight back into David Moyes’ teamsheet once he’s back fit and available.

Kobbie Mainoo (£5.5m)

The Manchester United midfielder notched a tally of 73 FPL points last season.

That’s a pretty paltry return, putting him behind dozens of players you’d never consider; Emile Smith Rowe, Noah Sadiki, Jordan Henderson and Curtis Jones to name but a few.

But 73 points isn’t bad when you consider that he was frozen out by Ruben Amorim and didn’t start a league game until mid-January. Extrapolate his average over a full campaign and he’d be among the higher-scoring budget central midfield options.

Mainoo doesn’t produce spectacular output (just one goal and two assists last season), and that is unlikely to change given his role and profile.

But if you’re looking for something a bit more leftfield, he could be a reasonably good FPL asset in terms of bonus points and defensive contribution numbers.