Transfer recommendations ahead of Gameweek 9: Bryan Mbeumo and Alejandro Garnacho among appealing one-week punts

NO fewer than 13 teams are set to play twice in Gameweek 9.

After a full round of Premier League fixtures, the Carabao Cup round of 16 will take place over Tuesday and Wednesday.

With this in mind, we’ve identified some potentially savvy transfer targets for your perusal, beyond the blindingly obvious names such as Erling Haaland (£8.9m), Mohamed Salah (£7.4m), etc.

BRYAN MBEUMO (£4.4m)

No midfielder has scored more goals in all competitions than Brentford’s talisman at this stage of the season.

That statistic alone is enough to justify Mbeumo’s place in any Dream Team but he’s a particularly appealing option for Gameweek 9 because the Bees’ favourable double header.

Thomas Frank’s side are set to host Ipswich on Saturday and Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night.

Given the Tractor Boys are yet to win a league game since their promotion to the top flight and the Owls are currently 18th in the Championship, these match-ups are ripe with potential on paper.

Granted, Mbeumo may be rested to some extent in midweek – he’s played just 14 minutes in the cup so far – but Brentford’s head coach may decide to make more use of his star player with a spot in the quarter-finals up for grabs.

Even if the Cameroon international only plays against Ipswich, he’s got a decent chance of a substantial haul – he averages 8.7 points-per-game this season!

ALEJANDRO GARNACHO (£3.6m)

No midfielder has registered more shots on target than Manchester United’s No17 at the time of writing.

Garnacho was instrumental in the Red Devils’ comeback against Brentford last weekend and earned a whopping 15 points for his efforts.

Gameweek 9 brings a league meeting with West Ham and a cup encounter with Leicester – another relatively favourable double header (in theory).

The Hammers capitulated at Tottenham last time out and will be without key man Mohammed Kudus when Man United come to town following the Ghana star’s red card.

Erik ten Hag’s side are far from the finished article themselves but in Garnacho they possess a lively threat capable to penetrating vulnerable defences – the Argentine winger averages a goal involvement every 93.1 minutes this season.

It’s worth noting that this suggestion predates Man United’s Europa League clash with Fenerbahce – it should go without saying that an injury to Garnacho in Turkey would change the outlook.

SON HEUNG-MIN (£5.1m)

Spurs’ captain didn’t train in midweek because of “soreness” and won’t be involved against AZ Alkmaar this evening so gaffers would be wise to wait for another update before committing to this transfer if that way inclined.

That being said, it would be a surprise if Son didn’t start against Crystal Palace on Sunday and with the Eagles languishing in 18th, he could feast.

The South Korean superstar enjoyed himself against West Ham upon his comeback from injury to the tune of 13 points.

Dream Team bosses shouldn’t require a breakdown of Son’s attributes, he’s been a proven performer for years now.

Ange Postecoglou’s side are set to host Manchester City in the Carabao Cup which is clearly a tough match-up but Pep Guardiola has struggled at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium historically.

Two games in a week may be a stretch for Son if he’s still building his way back to full fitness but he’s a viable long-term selection rather than just a one-week punt.

Be aware his price will increase after the deadline so if you’re planning to delay this transfer you will need to account for a little extra budget.

SAVINHO (£3.9m)

We mentioned Phil Foden (£5.9m) among last week’s transfer recommendations and he repaid our faith with a 17-point return in Gameweek 8 – he’s worth underling as a premium selection.

Alternatively, Savinho could be a smart differential option in a more affordable price bracket.

The Brazilian winger, who currently features in just 2.6% of teams right now, boasts the joint-highest points-per-game average (5.8) among City midfielders this season, as well as the most bonus points (16).

With Kevin De Bruyne (£6.3m), Jeremy Doku (£4.3m) and Jack Grealish (£3.5m) all sidelined for Gameweek 9 at the very least, Savinho should get plenty of minutes with the defending champions due to face Southampton and Spurs.

That home game against Saints could be a points explosion for several City assets.

Don’t get caught out by the Gameweek 9 deadline – confirm your transfers before 6:30pm on Friday!

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk