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The 2022-23 Premier League season is set to begin in nearly two weeks and while some teams look prepared for it, others are still playing catch-up.
Most of the teams are involved in their pre-season preparations and bringing in new players to strengthen their sides.
A few players who will be wanting to get off to a good start, though, are the star-studded strikers who shall be vying to win the Premier League Golden Boot.
In the last five years, Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah has dominated the Premier League Golden Boot award by winning it thrice. However, he has had to share the honor twice (2019 & 2022), thereby indicating the competition in the league.
In 2019, he had to share it with team-mate Sadio Mane and Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, all scoring 22 goals. In 2022, he shared it with Tottenham Hotspur winger Son Heung-Min, scoring 23 goals.
Winning the Golden Boot is not going to be any easier in the upcoming Premier League campaign. Various players, old and new, shall be hoping to get their hands on it by scoring chunks of goals.
On that note, let's take a look at five contenders for the 2022-23 Premier League Golden Boot.
#5 Gabriel Jesus
Gabriel Jesus sealed a move to Arsenal from Manchester City this summer for £45 million and the Brazil star is already looking the part.
The centre-forward has scored thrice in three pre-season games, including a sumptuous opening goal against Chelsea in the Florida Cup final.
Under Mikel Arteta and around a young Arsenal squad, Jesus looks at home. He has been given the freedom that perhaps wasn't the case under Pep Guardiola's serial winning Manchester City side.
It is too early to make assumptions. However, if he maintains his fitness levels, Jesus has the quality to bag at least 20 league goals next season, if not more.
While the 25-year-old has only scored more than 10 Premier goals twice in the last five seasons, the striker is bound to hit his professional peak soon.
Although it may seem like an outside shout, Jesus has the ability to have a real run at winning the 2022-23 Premier League Golden Boot.
#4 Son Heung-min
Son Heung-Min shared the Premier League Golden Boot with Mohamed Salah last year as he scored 23 times for Tottenham Hotspur.
However, this was a long-overdue award for the Asian superstar, who has played at the top of his game over the last four to five seasons.
Although having Harry Kane alongside is a huge advantage, Son has been the overshadowed hero at Tottenham Hotspur in recent years. In fact, his brilliant performances at the start of last season partially made up for a poor showing under Nuno Espirito Santo.
Under Antonio Conte, Son looks even better and his partnership with Kane looks unstoppable. The 30-year-old winger will be keen on retaining his award next season and shall hope to bang in more than 20 goals again.
#3 Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland is arguably the best bit of business in the 2022 transfer market and Manchester City shall be expecting their star man to deliver the same. He joined the Cityzens from Borussia Dortmund for a fee going up to £85 million.
The Norwegian ace has gotten off to a good start as he scored on his pre-season debut against Bayern Munich on July 23. It gave an idea of what he shall be bringing to Pep Guardiola's side and the kind of fearless machine they might become if they were not already one.
To put things into context, Haaland scored 85 goals and provided 22 assists in 88 appearances across all competitions for Borussia Dortmund.
Although the Bundesliga is arguably not as competitive as the Premier League, the young sensation could hit similar numbers, given the players around him. Haaland will be keen to prove the same by winning the Premier League Golden Boot next season.
#2 Harry Kane
Harry Kane remains one of the best strikers in world football despite the Tottenham Hotspur star having a rather poor 2021-22 season by his standards.
Following a tumultuous transfer saga last summer and the unencouraging appointment of Nuno Espirito Santos, Kane's numbers dithered in the first half of the season. However, the England star picked up his form under Antonio Conte, who revitalized the centre-forward through his dynamic and demanding tactics.
In fact, Kane scored 17 times by the end of the season. This was quite a turn-around, considering he only scored once in the first four months of the season.
The Englishman shall now have his eyes set on winning or competing for the Premier League next season by scoring relentlessly under the title-winning manager.
Kane is the fifth highest goalscorer in the Premier League history and will look to move further on the list and win another Golden Boot.
#1 Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah has been arguably the best right winger in world football since joining Liverpool in the summer of 2017.
The Egyptian phenomenon has been scoring goals for fun under Jurgen Klopp, who has built an unassailable side at Anfield. Salah has been quite the focal of the club's success under the German boss. It is depicted by the fact that he has scored 118 goals in 180 league games for the Reds.
He has lost a vital strike partner in Sadio Mane, who joined Bayern Munich this summer. However, the Egyptian is bound to continue scoring alongside Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz & Roberto Firmino.
If Liverpool are to win the league next season, it looks like a certainty that Salah shall win the Premier League Golden Boot for a record fourth time.
