As the deadline looms closer, it is time to decide what to do with our precious free transfer(s). Aside from playing chips or selecting a captain, our transfers are the single most important aspect of our FPL campaign, and the importance of getting it right cannot be overstated.

In this article we crunch the numbers, analyse the fixtures, take advice from the Algorithm, and decide which player to buy, which player to sell, and which player to keep for Gameweek 31.

BUY: Mohamed Salah

• Cost: £12.8m
  
• Selected by: 26.6%
  
• Projected Points (Next 6 GWs): 43.2
  

The two foundations of FPL player selection – fixtures and form – are aligning for Mohamed Salah (£12.8m) and serious attention should be paid to bringing the Liverpool winger into your squad. Transferring in the most expensive player in the game is easier said than done and it may be that you are unable to bring him in for Gameweek 31, if this is the case then your transfer should be based around keeping the option available quickly.

Starting with fixtures, Liverpool play Leeds, Nottingham Forest and West Ham, followed by a double in Gameweek 34 where the Egyptian King will face both Spurs and Fulham. According to the Fixture Planner, no other team has a better run from both a defensive and attacking perspective.

As for form, a quick look at the Opta Stats Sandbox shows us why Salah remains an excellent FPL asset. After an amazing display against Arsenal in Gameweek 30, Salah has knocked fellow premium asset Erling Haaland (£12.2m) off the xFPL Points Leaderboard and now has more than any other player (185.12) this season.

His recent form is strong too. Salah has accumulated 7.03 combined xG and xA in the last six Gameweeks, more than any other player. Pretty much any underlying statistic you choose for goal involvement will tell you the same story, even if this isn’t necessarily reflected in his actual FPL points output.

The Algorithm agrees with this assessment and believes that Salah will outscore any other player over the next six Gameweeks. Ignore him at your peril.