Football INDEX: Returning Tottenham defender among our five to buy

Football INDEX is the world’s first football stock market where you can buy and sell shares in footballers with real money. Football INDEX offers fans a chance to bet on the future success of football players compared to the short-lived outcome of betting on football results.

Intrigued by what Football INDEX has to offer, but unsure whether to gamble your money? Football INDEX offers new customers a 7-day risk free period where they will refund any deposits made within the first seven days of the first deposit, up to a total of £500. Think of it as a trial period where you will effectively have up to £500 to play with during your first week of trading.

Still undecided what footballers to invest your money in? Football INDEX even provides users with a handy tool to help you make informed decisions. Share prices tend to fluctuate, but they aren’t just determined by player performance. Share prices can also increase based on the media attention a player receives on any given day of trading.  

Here, we outline our five picks to invest in ahead of the weekend’s action, including a returning Tottenham defender whose buy price remains relatively low… 

TOBY ALDERWEIRELD – TOTTENHAM (BUY) 

It was a welcome sight to see Toby Alderweireld take to the field in Tottenham’s 2-0 win over Newport on Wednesday night. The Belgian hasn’t featured for Spurs since sustaining a hamstring injury in a 3-1 win over Real Madrid back in November and with the North London Derby around the corner and Champions League duties resuming next week, his return is a boost for the north London side. 

At the time of writing, his buy price is £1.26 per share on Football INDEX and that is expected to steadily increase over the coming weeks. With Spurs still battling on three fronts, Alderweireld should gain ample playing time between now and May, particularly with the World Cup looming. What’s more, with question marks lingering over his future at Spurs, any rumours linking him with a move away should trigger an increase in his share price. 

JAMES WARD-PROWSE – SOUTHAMPTON (BUY) 

Southampton youngster James Ward-Prowse has been in good form of late and played a decisive role in Saints’ 3-2 win over West Brom at the weekend. The 23-year-old has been working his way into Mauricio Pellegrino's good books in recent weeks and has now scored four goals in his last five appearances. 

His set-piece quality is one of his greatest strengths and should help Saints apply pressure to a sub-par Liverpool defence at the weekend. Indeed, if the south coast side are to upset the odds, Ward-Prowse could prove crucial. With a buy price of £0.77 per share on Football INDEX, the youngster may well prove a bargain over the coming weeks. 

LUCAS HERNANDEZ – ATLETICO MADRID (BUY) 

Atletico Madrid boast one of the best defences in Europe, of that there is no doubt. Diego Simeone’s well-drilled Atletico have shipped just nine league goals this season, fewer than any other La Liga side. They have something of a defensive crisis on their hands coming into the weekend, however. 

Simeone is without first choice centre-backs Diego Godin and Stefan Savic through injury, with Jose Gimenez and Lucas Hernandez expected to deputise and we’re backing the latter to impress. With a buy price of £0.73 per share on Football INDEX, the young defender is one to watch out for.  

Atletico Madrid are unbeaten in the 13 league game he’s started this season, shipping just four goals in that run. Malaga have failed to score in their last four home league games and you’d back Atletico to shut out their toothless hosts on Saturday. 

ALEX BERENGUER – TORINO (BUY) 

Young full-back Alex Berenguer was WhoScored.com’s Serie A player of the month for January, chipping in with two assists in a more advanced role. The Spaniard was relegated to the bench for the recent 1-1 draw with Sampdoria, but is tipped to come back into the side against Udinese. 

Considering the promise of assists and an ability to stretch defences, Berenguer’s buy price £0.71 per share on Football INDEX is a low risk investment that promises high rewards. Udinese are on an indifferent run of form and so the 21-year-old may be worth a look in ahead of the weekend’s action. 

BERTRAND TRAORE – LYON (BUY) 

Lyon will be looking to get back to winning ways in the league after back-to-back defeats and while the welcome of Rennes is a potential banana skin, you’d back L’OL to emerge victorious in front of their own fans. Former Chelsea man Bertrand Traore has been steadily building up his fitness in recent weeks and now has two goals in his last four appearances. 

Away from home, Rennes have failed to keep clean sheet in their last six league matches on the road and that run is tipped to continue this week. Traore may prove to be a cheap investment at £1.01 per share on Football INDEX in a Lyon side that has no problem hitting the back of the net.