Russo's price tag reflects a season built on consistency, not headlines
Alessia Russo enters this season with a £11.5 million price tag, placing her among the most expensive forwards in the game. With 13 goals and six assists in 22 matches last season it will come as no surprise to Fantasy managers that she is the second most expensive player in the game.
Pick Russo and £88.5 million remains to fill the other 14 squad places, so the real question for managers isn't whether she can deliver; it's whether the price still leaves room to build a competitive squad around her.
Combine that with the hefty price tag of her Manchester City Rival Bunny Shaw for a strong forward combination and you’ve only got £76 million remaining for 13 more players, so is it worth the premium price?
A season based on numbers, not just accolades
Russo's individual recognition last season included a runner-up finish in the Football Writers' Association Women's Footballer of the Year vote and a place on the six-player shortlist for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award.
Aside from the awards, Russo is second for goals and joint-third for assists in the BWSL last season, highlighting her elite performance. What stands out just as much as the goal tally is her availability. Russo started 21 of Arsenal's 22 league games and appeared in every single one, the kind of reliability that lets managers set and forget rather than second-guess team news each week.
No summer drama
Russo's future was settled well before a ball had even been kicked this season. She put pen to paper on a new long-term Arsenal deal in September, having originally been tied down only until 2026.
The extension means one less variable for fantasy managers to worry about: no pre-season exit rumours, no adjustment period at a new club, just continuity in a system already proving successful.
Russo is also a low-risk player more literally, as she picked up no yellow or red cards last season, meaning no unexpected point deductions from suspensions or bookings.
2025-26 season at a glance
- Goals: 13
- Assists: 6
- Appearances: 22
- Starts: 21
- Shots: 85
- Shots on target: 36
- Yellow/red cards: 0
- Fantasy price: £11.5m
Finishing strong, starting hard
Russo's final outing of the season was a fitting send-off. She scored twice against Liverpool on the closing day, a timely reminder heading into the new campaign of exactly the goal threat managers are paying a premium for.
That form will be tested early, though. Arsenal's opening five fixtures include three of last season's top four, starting with a trip to Brighton before back-to-back meetings with Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City. It's a demanding start that could delay Russo's fantasy returns, even if her underlying numbers suggest the goals won't be far behind.
- Brighton and Hove Albion (A) – Sunday 6 September
- Crystal Palace (A) – Sunday 13 September
- Manchester United (H) – Friday 18 September
- Chelsea (A) – Saturday 26 September
- Manchester City (A) – Sunday 4 October
When is Fantasy launching?
Fantasy will launch next week, and you can get ahead by downloading the WSL Football App.
