Gabby Agbonlahor tips 30-year-old superstar to win the Ballon d'Or award ahead of Benzema, Lewandowski and Salah

Gabby Agbonlahor has named Liverpool forward Sadio Mane as his surprise choice to win this year's Ballon d'Or.

Players such as Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski are the front-runners for the prestigious award.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have had a strangle hold on the Ballon d'Or for over a decade, with the duo winning every title since 2008 except one.

Former Aston Villa forward Agbonlahor believes that Mane should be in the conversation following a fine individual year for the Senegalese winger.

Speaking to Talksport, the former England international said:

“I know we look at Benzema or Lewandowski but I’m looking at Mane. Mane won the AFCON, a chance of the Premier League, won the Carabao Cup, could win the FA Cup and Champions League. I’d put Mane ahead of Salah”

The 30-year-old attacker has had an exceptional year for the Reds, having recently been converted into a centre-forward to accommodate new signing Luis Diaz.

Mane has netted 19 goals in his 43 appearances across the current campaign, but his relentless workrate makes him a sure-fire starter for Jurgen Klopp's team, who are still aiming to complete an unprecedented quadruple this season.

The Senegal talisman also buried the winning penalty in the AFCON final against Mo Salah's Egypt, as well as guiding his country to the Qatar World Cup later this year.

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Analyzing the 2022 Ballon d'Or contenders

The Ballon d'Or is generally highly influenced by those who shine at the World Cup, but several players have already made a strong case for individual honors.

The favorite will surely be Real Madrid forward Benzema, who has scored an incredible 41 goals in his 41 games this season, while also dragging Los Blancos to the Champions League semi-finals.

He has netted 14 times during Madrid's 10 European clashes during that run, including hat-tricks against PSG and Chelsea in the previous knockout rounds.

Meanwhile, Lewandowski is having yet another extraordinary season at Bayern Munich, as the Bavarians claimed their 10th consecutive Bundesliga title.

The 33-year-old center-forward is producing some outrageous numbers, scoring 48 goals in 43 appearances this season.

Polish international Lewandowski was arguably unlucky to miss out last year, with Messi winning his seventh title, despite the Bayern forward breaking Gerd Muller's Bundesliga record for most goals in a single campaign.

Mane's Liverpool teammate Salah is also in the running, as the winger's scintillating form has led to him being the Premier League's top goal scorer and highest assist provider this term.