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Leeds United, Manchester United and Tottenham are among the clubs offering budget-friendly defenders you should be looking at for your Fantasy Premier League squad in 2026-27.

With the first deadline coming up quickly, the time for endless tinkering is almost over and decisions need to be made. Here are six defenders priced at £5.0m or below who could be worth fitting into your squad.

Here are six budget defenders, all priced at £5.0m or less, that deserve consideration for your FPL team this season.

The Dutch defender produced an impressive 148 FPL points last season, finishing above players such as William Saliba, Daniel Munoz and Pedro Porro.

On that basis, a price tag of only £5.0million looks outstanding value, particularly when you factor in that most defenders who delivered similar returns last season now cost £6.0million or more.

Of course, there is still some uncertainty over whether Van Hecke can reproduce those numbers at his new club. Tottenham were poor at the back last season, but after major investment, the arrival of a new manager, no European distractions and a deeper squad, there are strong reasons to think they can improve significantly in that area.

We have already included Dominic Calvert-Lewin in our list of budget forwards and Harry Wilson among the midfielders, but Leeds have quietly put together a very strong spine.

Leeds did not register a huge number of clean sheets last season, but their underlying defensive data was encouraging, especially after Daniel Farke switched to a back three. If fellow new signing James Trafford can reproduce the underlying numbers he posted with Manchester City and Burnley, then regular clean sheets could well follow.

Muharemovic arrived from Sassuolo for £34.1million and the early indications from pre-season have been highly encouraging. He also stands at 6’4” and should pose a major threat from set-pieces, an area where only Arsenal scored more goals last season. The Bosnia international has already opened his account for Leeds during the summer friendlies.

From Tarik to Tyrique, we were surprised to see the Crystal Palace defender given such a low price.

After returning 135 points last season, £4.5million looks an absolute bargain. At that price point, you are unlikely to find a better deal this season.

The only concern is that Selhurst Park has a new manager, which always brings the possibility of change. However, Pierre Sage has opted for continuity, sticking with the same wing-back system that worked so effectively under his predecessor Oliver Glasner, so Mitchell should be expected to keep his place, at least initially.

Hume’s appeal as a £4.5million option is clear. He started 34 Premier League matches last season, collected 110 FPL points and remains very much part of Regis Le Bris’ plans at Sunderland.

He is already established as someone worth considering. But what really stands out with Hume is that he has been used in a more advanced role during Sunderland’s pre-season, registering one goal and one assist in four friendly appearances. If he does settle into a winger’s role this season, there could be serious value there; perhaps the new Stuart Dallas?

Sunderland’s opening fixtures also look fairly kind. They face Ipswich on the opening weekend and then play Fulham, Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth, Leeds and Coventry City across the first nine gameweeks. That gives him the look of an asset worth holding until at least Halloween.

The left-back’s fitness issues are well known, but it is time to set that perception aside. He started all 38 Premier League matches last season and is clearly trusted by Michael Carrick. There should be no concern over his game time.

Admittedly, Manchester United’s defensive record last season was not impressive, clean sheets were hard to come by, and Shaw’s total of only 113 points explains why he is priced so cheaply. But only Arsenal and Liverpool posted a better xGA (expected goals against) rate last term, and over time you would expect that to lead to better results in terms of actual scorelines.

If you still need convincing, the Red Devils begin with Hull City and Ipswich Town in their first two fixtures. Put him in your team.

There is a paradox with newly-promoted clubs. You would expect all of them to spend plenty of time sitting deep, which could create strong potential for defensive contribution points, even if clean sheets may be harder to come by. Fortune favours the brave, after all.

Coventry City mainstay Thomas is one of the existing players expected to retain his place in Frank Lampard’s preferred XI after the club’s summer business. His underlying numbers from last season suggest he could rank well for defensive contributions, although whether that turns into strong overall returns is a different matter.

If you absolutely need a £4.0million player to help balance your budget and spend most weeks on the bench, you will probably struggle to find a better option than Thomas.