Who are the best FPL premium midfielders for 2025/26? Expert Fantasy Premier League manager Abdul Rehman (FPL Salah) has it covered.

We’ll be keeping this list of midfielders, priced £8.5m and above, regularly updated ahead of the Gameweek 1 deadline, so make sure to bookmark this page.

And check out our Ultimate Guide to FPL for all our best player articles and much more.

Best FPL premium midfielders 2025/26

Midfielders are more likely to get goals and assists and earn an extra point for a goal compared to forwards, plus they get an extra point for keeping a clean sheet.

This is why our premium midfielders need to be captainable options.

In most cases, you can't get away with more than two premiums without making sacrifices in other areas of your squad.

Picking the correct ones based on fixtures, when they are among the best captaincy options, is essential.

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The big hitters don't often hit the defensive contribution points and it's no surprise. They are heavily involved in the attack and the rule was introduced to more help the defensive midfielders.

But there is one player on this list which actually does very well for them...

Here are our top FPL premium midfielder selections:

Mohamed Salah (£14.5m) - Liverpool

Salah dominated the 2024/25 Premier League season by delivering a staggering 29 goals and 18 assists in 38 matches, amounting to a record-breaking 47 goal involvements. He also broke his own FPL points record.

With a 25.21 expected goals (xG) tally and 9.65 expected assists (xA), Salah's underlying numbers were elite and we can expect another big season from the Egyptian.

He will as usual be one of the highest-owned players going into Gameweek 1.

Liverpool’s opening fixtures are a bit of a mixed bag though. They play Newcastle (A) and Arsenal (H) in their first three.

But over the first 10 they also come up against Bournemouth (H), Burnley (A), Everton (H), Manchester United (H) and Aston Villa (H).

Given his nailed status, clinical finishing and involvement in penalties and set-pieces, he remains s must-have pick despite some tough games early on.

It’s no surprise he is the the highest predicted scoring player (60.9 points) for the first eight gameweeks according to Hub AI.

Mohamed Salah's stats

Cole Palmer (10.5m) - Chelsea

Palmer burst onto the scene in 2023/24 to finish as the league’s top-scoring FPL pick with 22 goals and 13 assists.

Last season wasn't as fruitful but he still managed a very good total of 15 goals and 10 assists.

His form in the second half of the season was worrying but he has shown too much class, too often, to write him off.

His performance in Chelsea’s Club World Cup final win - where he scored a brace - was a stark reminder of his quality.

In the first 21 gameweeks last season, he averaged 7.8 points per game, second only to Salah.

His impressive xG of 16.79 and xA of 9.53 tells me he should get plenty of returns again this season.

Chelsea’s have great fixtures to start the season. They play Crystal Palace (H), West Ham (A), Fulham (H), Brentford (A), Brighton (H) and Sunderland (H) in the first nine matches.

Palmer is nailed to start, on penalties and set-pieces and has shown over the years that he is an elite player and FPL asset.

Cole Palmer's stats

Bukayo Saka (£10.0m) - Arsenal

Saka has shown consistent improvement every season, firmly cementing himself as one of the top premium midfield options in FPL.

His season was unfortunately limited due to injury but he still managed six goals and 11 assists in 20 starts.

He is Arsenal’s most reliable starter, taking penalties and corners, and plays in one of the league’s best teams.

Last season, Arsenal scored 91 goals (second most in the league) and registered an impressive 76.1 xG, the third highest.

It’s highly likely they’ll produce similar attacking numbers in the upcoming campaign.

Saka was directly involved in 34% of Arsenal’s goals before his injury - the highest goal involvement in the squad.

He looks set to deliver double figures for both goals and assists once again.

While Arsenal’s opening fixtures are a mixed bag, their attacking threat should not be underestimated.

In the first 10 gameweeks, they face Leeds (H), Forest (H), West Ham (H), Crystal Palace (H) and Burnley (A).

According to Hub AI, Saka is projected to be the second highest-scoring player over the opening eight gameweeks, with an expected 54.2 points.

There's a slight question mark over whether new signing Viktor Gyokeres will share or take penalty duties but Saka remains a top pick.

Bukayo Saka's stats

Bruno Fernandes (£9.0m) - Manchester United

Fernandes has consistently been at the heart of United’s attacking play, delivering goals and assists season after season.

Last term, he recorded eight goals and 10 assists, with an impressive expected goal involvement (xGI) of 17.81, and that was amid Manchester United’s worst league finish.

One of Fernandes’s biggest advantages in FPL is his monopoly on set-pieces. As United’s primary penalty and set-piece taker, his chances of picking up attacking returns are significantly boosted.

This reliability makes him a steady option across all fixtures, as even in tough matches, his set-piece responsibilities offer a route to points.

Another key strength is his reliability and consistent minutes. The Portuguese is one of the most nailed players in the league.

It also looks like he will do well for defensive contributions. He hit the threshold of 12 a total of 11 times last season, which would have given him and extra 22 points.

With Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha now at the club, you would think he plays deep a lot more, which will likely mean more defensive contribution points.

When you add in his expected minutes and the fact he's on all set-pieces, it's no wonder FPL priced him at £9.0m.

United’s don't have the best early fixtures - in the first five they play Arsenal (A), Manchester City (A) and Chelsea (H). But over the first seven they also play Fulham (A), Burnley (H) and Sunderland (H).

And under the new rules, Fernandes looks as fixture-proof as ever. Hub AI has him as the fifth highest-predicted scoring player (45.3 points) over the first eight.

Bruno Fernandes's stats

Florian Wirtz (£8.5m) - Liverpool

Wirtz’s move to Liverpool has generated huge excitement, both in real football and in FPL.

The German international arrives on the back of two excellent seasons at Bayer Leverkusen. He managed 10 goals and 14 assists last term and 11 goals and 11 assists in 2023/24.

He ranked among the top 10 for xA (10.9) across Europe’s top leagues last year.

His ability to operate as both a creator and a goalscorer makes him a versatile midfield option with explosive FPL potential.

At Liverpool, Wirtz is expected to play a pivotal role in the attack and there is no doubt they are going to score plenty of goals.

They netted the most last season (86) and also recorded the best xG (82.2).

He won't be a 90 minute man every game but I am confident he will be firmly first choice and should start the majority of games.

The Reds have some good fixtures early on and if he hits the ground running his stock will increase rapidly.

Florian Wirtz. Picture by Getty Images

Best FPL premium midfielders: Abdul's rankings

I will now rank these options exclusively for Hub members.

Rankings are given for the player’s FPL potential looking at price, fixtures and overall value.

Check out their predicted points for Hub AI's view.

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Best FPL premium midfielders 2025/26

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