West Ham United have scooped Pablo Zabaleta on what’s a very good deal for the Hammers. Zabaleta leaves the Ethiad a “club legend” among similar Terrace heroes like Colin Bell, Georgi Kinkladze, Uwe Rösler and Shaun Goater. An instant hit with the crowd since his first day in City colours and potentially a in instant hit with the Hammers fans too.
But what does this all mean for fantasy football? Read on to find out our thoughts on Pablo Zabaleta and whether or not he should be in your fantasy teams.
Fantasy Football Potential
Pablo Zabaleta has seen his game time greatly reduced in recent times. He played 20 times in Premier League last season, making 11 starts for Manchester City, playing a total 1,065 minutes of the league. During the course of the season he scored once and managed to provide one assist. Manchester City also kept 2 clean sheets while he played more than 60 minutes.
Zabaleta delivered 11 key passes from his position as a fullback, delivering 475 key passes which amounted to a pass completion rate of 83%. His successful tackles tallied to 26 and he also made 24 interceptions.
The Argentinian full-back has been arguably one of the Premier League’s most consistently feisty competitors during his time in England, splendidly reliable at chugging up and down City’s right flank. He always performs wholeheartedly which makes him a favourite for any team he plays, almost from the word go. The player’s unhesitating commitment makes him endearing to the fans.
Zabaleta is most effective while deployed as a right back, but can play as a left back and a defensive midfielder. Priced at just 5.0m he may well be a popular choice as one of the 5 defenders, since he is expected to more or less turn out for a major chunk of The Hammers’ journey this season. Being seasoned and experienced as he is, he is sure to be a favourite for Fantasy Premier League managers.
If you have enjoyed this early view of the fantasy potential of those moving teams this transfer window, be sure to check the others here.
Written by Devdeep Duta (@devdeepdcube)
