Double Gameweek 36 is one of the last real chances to make up ground this season, and the safest-looking moves are not always the ones that matter most. With only three Gameweeks remaining, transfer decisions are getting sharper, shorter-term and far more ruthless.
Rayan Cherki is the Manchester City midfielder to want right now. He is £1.5m cheaper than Antoine Semenyo, has been more involved centrally, and also offers a share of set pieces. Since Gameweek 32, Cherki has scored 28 points to Semenyo’s nine, a swing of 19 points that has made the case look stronger by the week. That edge matters even more because Manchester City have a Double Gameweek, while Semenyo has drifted wider, spent more time hugging the touchline and been taken off earlier than usual.
For managers looking at the premium bracket, Bukayo Saka still looks like a start in Gameweek 36 because the fixtures are too important to ignore. He was withdrawn early in the Champions League semi-final, though, and if the title is wrapped up before Gameweek 37 or Gameweek 38, Arsenal may keep managing his minutes. That makes the upside obvious and the risk equally clear. Joao Pedro, meanwhile, remains the best Chelsea attacker to own, with a home match against Spurs next week looking particularly appealing.
There is also a simple case for Cole Palmer. He is likely to get 90 minutes and stay on penalties, which is exactly the sort of security that begins to matter when rotation and fixture congestion start cutting through the season. At the back, Liverpool’s defence has looked vulnerable, but Gabriel is the defender to prioritise this week, especially with West Ham having conceded the second most goals from corners this season. Arsenal’s Burnley fixture in Gameweek 37 then sharpens the appeal further.
The tension in this run-in is that the obvious names do not always line up with the best short-term call. Some managers will still chase the big striker pick such as Erling Haaland, but the sharper edge in Gameweek 36 may come from the City midfielder with the fixtures, the set pieces and the recent points swing. In a week where margins are thin, Cherki looks like the move that best matches the moment.
