Top contenders for the Player of the Year award in the Premier League

The accolade is given to the best player of the season
The accolade is given to the best player of the season

The PFA Player of the Year is the seasonal award presented to the player adjudged to have been the best in the English Premier League.

This is the individual trophy that every player in the Premier League wants to get his hands on.

The current holder of this prestigious title is N'Golo Kante of Chelsea.

The incredible form of the champions-elect Manchester City has meant that most of the names featuring on this list are Pep Guardiola's boys.

Here is a look at ten of the likely candidates:


#10 David Silva (Manchester City)

Arsenal v Manchester City - Premier League
The Spanish wizard has been in supreme form this season

The heartbeat of Pep Guardiola's midfield, Silva is to Manchester City what Xavi was to Barcelona. He controls the play in the middle of the park and provides the calmness and composure to an attack bustling with pace and energy.

He may not be the player who bags the most number of goals or assists, but he's the one who is most influential in the moves leading to the goals and the 6 goals and 8 assists that he has provided is a testament to that.

This man has been somewhat overshadowed by the dynamic performances of de Bruyne, Sterling, Sane, and Aguero, but he still manages to light up games with his silky touch and elegance on the ball.

#9 Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)

Manchester City v Leicester City - Premier League
Sterling has been one of the most improved players this season

Sterling had a difficult start to life at Manchester City but has matured into the complete winger this season with improved end-product and decision making. Pep Guardiola has molded this raw talent into a ruthless impact player up-front.

He began the season on fire as his late equalizer against Everton and the final minute winner against Bournemouth early in the season acted as the catalyst for City's title charge.

He has bagged 15 goals and 6 assists by adding a killer instinct to his rapid pace and his understanding with Leroy Sane and Kevin de Bruyne has been a joy to watch. His form will be crucial to City's Champions League hopes as he's gone off the boil in the past few weeks.

#8 Roberto Firmino (Liverpool)

Liverpool v West Ham United - Premier League
Firmino's displays have been key in Liverpool's resurgence

Firmino is essential to Klopp's high-pressing style as the selfless forward who plays as the false-9 and he is vital in getting wingers i.e. Mo Salah and Sadio Mane into play.

His understanding and link-up play with the other two have made them one of the most potent attacking trios in world football.

His defensive contribution at the top end of the pitch is often overlooked and he plays a role that very few others can. 13 goals and 8 assists along with the numerous tackles and interceptions that he has made illustrate the all-round game this forward possesses.

People felt that Firmino might stutter in Coutinho's absence, but the Brazilian has stepped up several gears and has been firing on all cylinders since his countryman's departure to Barcelona.

#7 David de Gea (Manchester United)

Manchester United v Stoke City - Premier League
The Spaniard has been brilliant for United

The debate has been settled once and for all this season. Dea Gea is, without doubt, one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

His superhuman performances this season have kept Manchester United ahead in the race for the top 4. Without him, the Red Devils might have been struggling and be occupying a lowly position below on the table like Arsenal.

He is on course to win the club's Player of the Year award for a record fourth time.

He has been head and shoulders above the rest of the keepers in the Premier League and tops the list for the most clean-sheets for this season with 15 to his name.

#6 Leroy Sane (Manchester City)

Arsenal v Manchester City - Premier League
The German wonder-kid has been electric on the flanks

Sane has been an important piece of the jigsaw in City's success as he is the one who provides the width on the left flank with left-back Benjamin Mendy missing for most of the season.

The young German was a fringe player in an underwhelming first season in the Premier League but has been a real treat to watch this year and his breathtaking pace has left defenders terrified and gasping for breath.

8 goals and 11 assists this season further emphasizes the direct impact he has had and his performances have marked him out as one of the players to watch out in the German ranks at the World Cup this summer.

#5 Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)

Arsenal v Manchester City - Carabao Cup Final
Manchester City's leading goal-scorer continues to bang them in

Aguero had a slow start to the season with Pep Guardiola favoring Jesus ahead of him, as rumors were rife that he would leave City.

However, the record-breaking Argentine stayed on and has bounced back since the injury suffered by Jesus. He has been scoring goals for fun in 2018 to put himself back in the reckoning for the Golden Boot with 21 goals to his name.

Despite scoring the title-clinching goal in the final minute in the 2011-12 season and also securing the Golden Boot once, this award has eluded him and Aguero must surely be itching to get his hands on this trophy this time around.

#4 Fernandinho (Manchester City)

Manchester City v Newcastle United - Premier League
Probably the most underrated player in the league

The engine room of this unstoppable City machine, Fernandinho is the player that allows all the attacking-minded players to freely express themselves. The Brazilian has been one of the most important signings in City's recent history.

He provides the balance and stability to the unit with his clever ball-retention, positioning, and tough tackling.

Capable of scoring the odd-goal too, he is a leader on the pitch too and a complete midfielder. Take him out of the team and the City defence might be there for the taking.

#3 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)

Tottenham Hotspur v Everton - Premier League
Golden Boot winner yet again?

The winner of the Premier League Golden Boot in the previous two campaigns is well on his way to making it a hat-trick (he enjoys scoring them).

Initially called a one-season wonder, this man has worked tirelessly to establish himself as one of the most feared and sought-after forwards in world football.

having found the back of the net on 24 occasions, he's almost single-handedly keeping Tottenham in the race for the top 4 and Champions League honors this season.

More of the same and he will surely be one of the first names in line for the Player of the Year trophy come the end of the season.

#2 Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)

Manchester City v Leicester City - Premier League
PFA Player of the Season to go with the Premier League title?

De Bruyne is the odds-on favorite to snatch this award. He is the type of player a football lover would pay a fortune to go and watch.

He moves about the pitch with an effortless grace and has the vision to execute passes that nobody, aside Lionel Messi, can even imagine.

With 7 goals and 14 assists, he is the player that enables the likes of Sterling and Sane to flourish. Along with David Silva, this man controls the middle of the park by distributing balls for fun.

He was the best player in the first half of the season, but the fixture congestion has meant that he's just fallen a little off-pace. A good finish to the season would help him secure individual honours.

#1 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Huddersfield Town v Liverpool - Premier League
The signing of the season?

When Salah initially signed for Liverpool, people felt that the Reds had overpaid for him. He has however defied critics and made the signing look like the bargain of the season.

The man nicknamed 'Egyptian Messi', has recorded 24 goals and 8 assists, banging in goals with his left foot.

He has already scored a Premier League record of 20 goals for the season with his left foot. What's more stunning is that he has scored these goals from the right wing and not as a centre-forward.

He's in the race for the Golden Boot and if he keeps going this way, he can surely clinch it with the chances he gets game after game.

His electric performances are keeping Liverpool ahead of the likes of Spurs and Chelsea, and he will remain crucial to The Reds' hopes of clinching a Champions League spot for next season and also their progress in this season's competition.

Quick Links