Salah, Rashford, Saka: Top 10 PFA Player Of The Year 22/23 Contenders Ranked | OneFootball

With the culmination of the 2022/23 Premier League season nearing, attention is slowly turning towards who will win the PFA Player of the Year award.

Fans are starting to speculate who might pick up the trophy, with many players excelling over the course of the season.

The award has been dominated by Manchester City players in the last three years. Kevin De Bruyne won both last season and in 2020, while Ruben Dias collected the award in between.

And with City chasing down Arsenal as the league season enters its final turn, is there another player in sky blue who could collect the award?

Here's our ranking of the top 10 picks to win the 2022/23 PFA Player of the Year award.

10 Kieran Trippier

Newcastle’s right-back deserves recognition for his performances this season.

Trippier’s technical ability on the ball has seen him register six assists this season, but he ranks third for key passes in the league and passes into the penalty area as well (via FBref).

Newcastle's highest-paid player manages to be a threat going forward while contributing effectively defensively, with Newcastle’s defence conceding the fewest goals in the league.

9 Kaoru Mitoma

Any number of Brighton’s players could have made the list, with Alexis Mac Allister, Moises Caicedo and more all having excellent seasons.

But we've gone for one of the breakout players of the year.

Mitoma has been in fine form for Brighton, scoring seven goals and registering four assists as the Seagulls push for a spot in Europe next season.

He's dangerous on the ball and likes to drive at defences, with Mitoma carrying the ball into the box 54 times this season.

He looks to have settled into the team nicely, with his boss Roberto De Zerbi hailing him as ‘crucial.’

8 Mohamed Salah

It’s been an off-season for Salah, but even a poor year for the Egyptian King is still a decent one overall.

A record of 16 goals puts him way beyond Liverpool’s next top scorer in the league — the outgoing Roberto Firmino with nine — while he remains once the league's most feared players when he cuts in from the right onto his favoured left foot.

And despite missing the odd penalty or two, often to the delight of opposition players, Salah remains one of the heavyweight contenders for this season's PFA Player of the Year award.

7 Ivan Toney

Quite how Brentford have managed to keep Toney over the last few seasons given his level of performance is a mystery to many.

This year, though, he has taken his goalscoring exploits to new levels, with his total of 19 in the league only bettered by two other men.

breaches of the FA’s betting rules, he has continued to excel for the Bees, and Thomas Frank has praised his striker for his ‘laser focus.'

6 Harry Kane

The second-highest goalscorer in the division follows the third, with Kane’s 24 goals placing him one spot higher than his compatriot at number seven.

An achievement arguably made even more impressive by the fact that Tottenham have struggled so much this year.

Last year’s Player of the Season nominee Son Heung-Min has faltered this campaign, and Kane has worked hard to carry Spurs up the table amid the chaos with Antonio Conte and, more recently, Cristian Stellini.

Where would they be without him? Well, given all the rumours circulating about where his future lies, including heavy interest from Manchester United, we might find out next season.

5 Marcus Rashford

Despite all the rumours circulating around Rashford's Man Utd contract and club future, there's no doubt he's been at the peak of his powers this season when it comes to his on-pitch displays.

Under Erik ten Hag, the winger has found new lease of life and has scored nearly a third of United’s league goals this season (15 out of 46, to be exact).

From supposedly surplus to requirements to player of the season in just over a year!

Universally praised by United icons Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney, and Roy Keane alike, hopefully Rashford can continue to kick on and maintain his current performance levels.

4 Kevin De Bruyne

It wouldn’t be a Premier League PFA Player of the Year list without De Bruyne in here.

The division’s current leader for assists had to be on the list, with his output essential for Erling Haaland’s success.

The Belgian’s 15 assists were enough for him to hit 100 in the Premier League. He became just the fifth man to reach that total and he achieved it in fewer games than anyone before him.

3 Martin Odegaard

The only reason De Bruyne doesn’t make the podium is that the three top players have been so consistent and so good all season long.

And taking home our bronze medal this year is none other than Arsenal’s captain, Odegaard.

The Norwegian has stepped up on the pitch with 12 goals and seven assists, his best tally to date, while also acting as a leader in the dressing room as club captain.

He finally looks to be fulfilling the expectations so many had set for him when he first moved to Real Madrid. And if anyone wants to secure his services, they're reportedly looking at a fee of over £100 million.

2 Bukayo Saka

Arsenal’s star boy could easily have been number one, and if Arsenal win the league, he might yet win the prestigious award.

Saka has been nothing short of sensational this season, with double figures for both goals and assists. From youth academy prospect to becoming the Gunners' main man, it's been nothing short of a meteoric rise.

And he's still just 21 years of age. If he’s this good now, imagine what he can go on to achieve...

1 Erling Haaland

The robot himself – and when you try to comprehend how outrageous he has been this season, it's hard to deny Haaland the top-spot on this list.

The Norwegian is on track to break Alan Shearer and Andy Cole’s record of 34 goals in a single league season, having hit 32 with eight games remaining.

And with a maximum of 12 games left if City advance to the Champions League Final, he could yet break Dixie Dean’s record of 60 goals for an English team in a single season, a record that has stood for nearly 100 years.

A deserving winner in our eyes.