Strikers for all budgets!

PREMIUM OPTIONS

Most Fantasy managers will be looking to squeeze at least two premium forwards into their opening squads, and there are a plethora of options available who all make a strong case for inclusion. Available at the top price are two players who need little introduction – Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappé

. No player has scored more EURO goals than Ronaldo, while French star Mbappé – who found the net 42 times for Paris this season – currently features in over a third of teams as we build up to Matchday 1.

At slightly less eye-watering prices there are some equally enticing prospects available to fill your Fantasy forward line. Off the back of another goal-laden campaign for Bayern in which he surpassed 40 club goals for the sixth season in succession, Robert Lewandowski should come under serious consideration with the Pole carrying the hopes of his national side. The irrepressible striker has found the net in his last 14 competitive games for club and country, hitting 22 goals in that time.

Hopes are high that England can have a successful EURO 2020 campaign, and if that is to be the case then you can be sure that Harry Kane will once again be among the goals. The 27-year-old, the top scorer at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, has proven to be the most popular choice among Fantasy managers so far, with 42% seeing fit to include him in their squads. Another highly-fancied choice is Romelu Lukaku who enjoyed an excellent season at title-winning Internazionale. His strike-rate in national colours is also to be feared, with Belgium’s all-time top scorer having struck seven goals in his last six competitive appearances.

With the likes of Italian striker Ciro Immobile, a viable captaincy candidate in the opening fixture of EURO 2020, in-form Dutchman Memphis Depay and returning French forward Karim Benzema vying for attention, Fantasy managers have some tough decisions to make ahead of the Matchday 1 deadline.

MID-PRICED OPTIONS

Often one to perform on the big stage, Thomas Müller has been largely overlooked so far but has been a top performer in international tournaments. Recent comments by Germany coach Joachim Löw indicate that the Bayern man will operate from a central position at EURO 2020, perhaps just behind the main striker, and his assist potential in particular makes him an interesting Fantasy prospect. Germany team-mate Timo Werner will also be vying for one of the attacking roles, and while the Chelsea man didn’t have the most prolific debut campaign for the Premier League side, his last three international starts have yielded three goals.

If recent form is anything to go by, then Artem Dzyuba has plenty going for him. The Zenit striker finished his season with seven goals in his last three games for the Russian champions, including four on the last day of the league season – a feat he also managed for Russia during a qualifying game against San Marino.

Turkey veteran Burak Yılmaz has proved the most popular mid-priced option in Fantasy circles with his ownership currently standing at 13%. Burak has plenty of momentum behind him having scored six goals in his last five games of the season for club side LOSC Lille, while he underlined his international pedigree with a superb hat-trick against Netherlands in March.

Zlatan Ibrahimović’s knee injury prior to EURO 2020 is of course a major blow to Sweden’s prospects but his absence could pave the way for Real Sociedad forward Alexander Isak to flourish. The 21-year-old scored 17 Liga goals in 2020/21 and could seize his moment to shine.

BUDGET OPTIONS

Having been on the scoresheet in all three of Netherlands’ World Cup qualifying games in March, Luuk de Jong will surely be in Frank de Boer’s thinking when the tournament gets under way. Keeping a close eye on warm-up friendlies should provide some insight into likely starting line-ups and if De Jong features prominently, he could prove to be an astute differential forward.

Teemu Pukki (€7.0m) has turned a few heads already, and for good reason given he scored ten goals for Finland in qualifying. The Norwich forward has also struck five times in Finland’s last four competitive fixtures and will be the focal point for his country at EURO.

Austria's Marko Arnautović (€7.0m) is available at a generous price and may tempt Fantasy managers looking for an affordable third striker. Arnautović sits on 26 career goals for his country – six of those coming during qualifying – and could be a source of goals at EURO if he holds off the likes of Saša Kalajdžić (€7.5m), another viable budget option, for a starting berth.

Ché Adams (€6.5m) forced his way into the Scotland fold earlier this year. The Southampton striker made an assist on his first international start in a draw with Israel, before finding the net in the following match against Faroe Islands.