Having dissected the pick of the £4.0m defenders in our trawl through the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) price list, we now turn our attention to the best £4.5m FPL midfielders and forwards.

But “best” very much needs to be put in big fat inverted commas for this article.

There’s no surprise that there aren’t any £4.5m forwards with game-time guarantees, as that has been the case for some years now.

But the midfield bargain bin looks depressingly short of bench fodder options who will get sustained Premier League minutes.

The decision to price the likes of Jack Cork and Idrissa Gana Gueye at £5.0m has left us with a dreadful pool of £4.5m options, as things stand.

Not one of this crop, indeed, started more than four Premier League fixtures in 2022/23:

However, this is us writing in early July.

The pre-season friendlies have yet to commence for most teams and there will surely be at least one midfielder who emerges from the pack to become the go-to pick at £4.5m.

It may be a case of a previously underused player impressing a new manager or an injury crisis allowing a squad option to string together a series of early-season starts.

But perhaps even more likely is a loan move or permanent transfer giving a rookie or second-string player a chance at more appearances with another club – something that happened to Andreas Pereira (£5.5m) a year ago.

£4.5m FPL MIDFIELDERS: BIG-SIX CLUBS

The main hope for most of the 14-strong list above is, indeed, a departure for pastures new.

James McAtee (£4.5m) and Tommy Doyle (£4.5m) were both on loan at newly promoted Sheffield United last year but it remains to be seen whether Pep Guardiola would countenance another temporary exit for either/both of them, either to the Blades again or elsewhere.

Doyle was on a share of set pieces at Bramall Lane last season but McAtee was the more attacking from open play, scoring on nine occasions.

Having been in and out of the side, both City prospects established themselves in Paul Heckingbottom’s first-choice XI during the run-in.

The options at Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur will be hoping to impress under their respective new managers.

At the rate at which the Blues are offloading central midfielders, Carney Chukwuekmeka (£4.5m) and Andrey Santos (£4.5m) will be optimistic of increased involvement.

Football London, indeed, suggest that 19-year-old Andrey – who has returned from a loan spell with Vasco da Gama – “is seen as a first-team player already and will have the chance to impress [Mauricio] Pochettino and his squad during pre-season training.”

Time will tell if that involvement is to be as back-up to Moises Caicedo (£5.0m), a long-time Chelsea target.

Malang Sarr (£4.5m) and Tanguy Ndombele (£4.5m) are in a similar boat at Spurs, with the latter back from a loan spell with Napoli.

“Tanguy has been good. He’s been working hard in training as they all have because they’ve got no choice! I take things as I see them.

“He was part of a Serie A-winning side last season and he’s been working well. Within that context, I’m pleased to have him here and part of the group. What that means for the long-term, we’ll see. Maybe he won’t want to be part of things.” – Ange Postecoglou on Tanguy Ndombele

Other than the players mentioned already, it’s Mohamed Elneny (£4.5m) – very much a back-up central midfielder at Arsenal – and a bunch of young prospects, not one of whom made a Premier League start in 2022/23.

£4.5m FPL MIDFIELDERS: NEWLY PROMOTED CLUBS

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