Up front the question is eternal: pay for Haaland, or spread the money? The 2026/27 prices give both camps ammunition.
The forward line, ranked
- Haaland (MCI, £15.5m, 89) — the most expensive player in the game, but three home fixtures in five and a captaincy calendar to match.
- Thiago (BRE, £8.0m, 87) — Brentford’s spearhead at nearly half the price.
- João Pedro (CHE, £7.5m, 87) — Chelsea’s focal point, hugely popular already at 39.5% ownership.
- Calvert-Lewin (LEE, £6.0m, 86) — the budget star: leads the line for a Leeds side playing three of five at home.
- Watkins (AVL, £8.0m, 85) — Villa’s reliable engine.
- Gyökeres (ARS, £7.5m, 79) — only Hold for now: the model wants to see the role before it commits.
The shape of it
Haaland plus Calvert-Lewin plus a £7.5m–£8.0m man is the natural 3-forward build; skipping Haaland frees up an extra premium midfielder instead. One warning from the model: Isak (LIV, £9.0m) rates just 60 — the full case is in our “players to avoid” piece. Live list on the Rankings page.
Research and data analysis supported by AI (our own rating engine); reviewed and edited by the author. Ratings update hourly — check the live AI Player Rankings.