FPL 2025/26 budget forwards: Will any £4.5m pick get minutes?
Finding value up front is key to unlocking a well-balanced squad, and in this article we’re diving into the best FPL 2025/26 budget forwards to consider ahead of Gameweek 1.
These low-cost strikers could be the difference between a strong bench and a front-loaded team – and with price hikes across midfield, picking the right enablers in attack is more important than ever.
Every year, we dream of a ‘magic bean’ emerging from the pack of youth products and unwanted second-string players. Most years, it doesn’t happen.
Perhaps that’s a good thing: if there was a cheat code at the bottom of the bargain bin, everyone would own them. It would also make accommodating the heavy hitters elsewhere all too easy.
So, what of this season’s crop of sub-£5.0m strikers?
Here’s our glance through all 21 of them.
Be sure to check out out FPL 2025/26 Essential Guide to help prepare for the new season.
£4.5M FORWARDS – LAST YEAR’S STATS
| Player | Club | 2024/25 League Starts (Sub) | 2024/25 League Goals |
| Redmond | Aston Villa | 2 (2) for Feyenoord | 0 |
| Adu-Adjei | Bournemouth | 11 (3) for Carlisle | 2 |
| Kroupi Jr | Bournemouth | 23 (7) for FC Lorient | 22 |
| Morgan | Brentford | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Barnes | Burnley | 1 (7) for Norwich 1 (12) | 1 |
| Obafemi | Burnley | 14 (15) for Plymouth | 2 |
| Guiu | Chelsea | 0 (3) | 0 |
| Marsh | C Palace | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Sherif | Everton | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Danns | Liverpool | 0 (1) | 0 |
| Obi | Man Utd | 1 (6) | 0 |
| Wheatley | Man Utd | 2 (2) for Walsall | 0 |
| Neave | Newcastle | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Abdullahi | Sunderland | 0 (1) for Gent | 0 |
| Hemir | Sunderland | 14 (13) for Juventus Next Gen | 2 |
| Rusyn | Sunderland | 0 (8) 10 (6) for Hadjuk Split | 0 |
| Lankshear | Spurs | 0 (3) 4 (7) for West Bromwich Albion | 0 |
| Scarlett | Spurs | 0 (3) 7 (13) for Oxford United | 4 |
| Marshall | West Ham | 31 (12) for Huddersfield Town | 9 |
| Chiwome | Wolves | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Fraser | Wolves | 0 (4) for Zulte Waregem | 0 |
The above picture tells a bit of a sorry story – but then, you wouldn’t expect many at that price to be free-scoring, rotation-proof strikers.
In fact, this lot combined for just one Premier League start in 2024/25. That was Chido Obi (£4.5m), for Manchester United.
Many of them had loan spells away from their parent clubs, too, the bulk of which were unremarkable.
To go from squad player at Plymouth Argyle to regular starter at Premier League level likely isn’t going to happen.
ELI JUNIOR KROUPI
Scoring more than all of the others put together was Eli Junior Kroupi (£4.5m).
Bournemouth snapped up the French teenager in February but then immediately loaned him back to old club Lorient.
