FPL Gameweek 10: Elite XI Team Reveals — Early Transfers and Bold Moves

Three of our Elite XI: Team Reveal managers – Tarek Balbaa, Mark Mansfield, and Corey Baker – have wasted no time ahead of Gameweek 10, all confirming they’ve already made early transfers.

Interestingly, two have finally moved on from João Pedro after a run of blanks, while one has sold Bowen. It’s a sign that even at the elite level, patience is wearing thin and decisive action is being taken before the mid-week cup fixtures.

Their moves may differ, but the logic is clear: act early, get ahead of price changes, and position for the next fixture swing.

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Tarek Balbaa (Rank 44,330 – Chasing an 11th Top 10k Finish)

After a strong start, Tarek admits Gameweek 9 was a rough one:

“Almost every single player blanked except for clean sheets from Arsenal players and Senesi.”

That frustration triggered decisive action:

“I was fed up with João Pedro after five consecutive blanks without taking hardly any shots.”

He explained that his replacement offers far stronger underlying numbers:

“Mateta is the second-highest xG in the game after Haaland, on penalties, and with a good run of fixtures – it’s a better choice on paper.”

Still, he’s keeping flexibility in his squad:

“I still have another free transfer just in case things go south. I’m eyeing a move from Bruno to Mbeumo … and with the money saved I could get Muñoz for Richards down the line.”

He even considered an Arsenal reshuffle:

“My original plan was to swap Gyökeres for Saka but since I wasn’t impressed by either I decided to keep things as is for further analysis.”

You can enable push notifications on the Elite XI: Team Reveal page to get instant alerts when Tarek makes a move.

Mark Mansfield (7× Top 10k Finishes)

Mark’s differentials “kept the boat afloat,” and he’s sticking with a measured approach.

“There’s one transfer in the bag already … I spent time tinkering a Wildcard on Sunday night and once distilled it would seem to be effectively to get more Palace players.”

He also moved away from João Pedro this week, bringing in Mateta one of the forwards featured in our recent article Time to Sell João Pedro! 4 FPL Forwards You Should Target, while also looking to strengthen both his attack and defence.

“With that move already done I have the option to take a -4 to get Muñoz or Richards, so the Wildcard would be a bit extravagant.”

Mark’s patience remains his trademark:

“With three Arsenal already, I’ll let the next two weeks at least play out and then see what to do about Saka. He could likely go on a week 12 or 13 Wildcard – that would change the shape of it significantly.”

While others might be tempted to reach for the reset button, Mark’s content to bide his time and reassess once the fixture landscape shifts.

Corey Baker (5× Top 10k Finishes)

For Corey, avoiding a Bench Boost in Gameweek 9 turned out to be a masterstroke.

“Gabriel’s niggle put me off a Reece James transfer and using Bench Boost — had I done it, I’d have had a woeful 10-point Bench Boost!”

His defence carried him to a green arrow, and this week he’s acted early again — but this time it was Bowen making way.

“I’ve brought in Mateta pre-price rise. A bit of a risk with an EFL Cup game this week, but I thought it was worth it.”

Corey’s also targeting a defensive upgrade:

“I’m planning on bringing in Muñoz for Andersen — the best attacking defender in the game.”

Muñoz has been mentioned by all three Elite XI: Team Reveal managers as a potential transfer target — and the stats explain why.

According to the Opta Stats Sandbox, among defenders he ranks 2nd for shots (11), joint-top for shots on target (5), joint-3rd for assists (3), and 2nd for expected assists (1.96).

Comparing Elite FPL Managers Strategies 🔍

Although their transfers addressed different areas, a clear pattern has emerged — acting early and targeting in-form players from the same few teams.

• Tarek and Mark both moved on from João Pedro, turning to Mateta after his recent surge in form and strong underlying numbers, while also considering defensive upgrades such as Muñoz.
  
• Corey opted to sell Bowen, using the move to balance his squad ahead of a planned Gameweek 11 Bench Boost.
  
• Mark remains patient with his Wildcard, eyeing a possible activation around Gameweek 12–13 once the fixture swings become clearer.
  

Each of the three acted early before the midweek fixtures — a calculated gamble that could pay off handsomely.

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