EPL Player of the Season Rankings: Top 5 contenders

The Premier League Player of the Season award is announced in May. This is before the campaign ends, so a lot is still to be decided. However, when the season ends, players shoot off on holiday, so it must be done when teams are still playing.

A player from Manchester City has won it the last five times, but they have had a disappointing season. Therefore, the award will most likely go to a player from another club. Here are five contenders for the prize this campaign.

5. Cole Palmer

Cole Palmer won the Young Player of the Season award last year for his outstanding contribution to Chelsea. He can still win that honor this campaign as he is still under 23. However, he could be in with a shout of winning the main award if he continues his fantastic form.

This season, Palmer has scored 14 goals, with six assists in 24 Premier League games. Therefore, he is on course to match if not better his stats from last season. During that campaign he found the back of the net 22 times, providing 11 assists in 33 matches.

The Blues finished fifth last season but if Palmer can help guide them to a top-four finish then this will help his bid to win Player of the Season. Last September, the England forward won the Player of the Month award.

4. Chris Wood

Nottingham Forest have had a fantastic campaign this year where they have been unexpectedly title challengers. Nuno Espirito Santo's side have been spearheaded by Chris Wood and the New Zealander deserves a shout for Player of the Season.

Wood has scored 17 times in 24 games this campaign. He is just 14 goals off of entering the Premier League's exclusive 100 Club. Only 34 players have scored 100 or more goals in the division.

It is not often that a player outside of the traditional 'big six' wins the Player of the Season Award. You would have to go back to Jamie Vardy of Leicester City during the 2015/16 campaign for the last time that happened. Wood has been like a Vardy figure for Forest this season. Therefore, he is a strong contender for the award this year.

3. Alexander Isak

Alexander Isak has been Newcastle United's talisman this season. He has scored 17 times in 22 Premier League matches. However, the Magpies are sixth in the division. If Isak is to win Player of the Season, then he must fire them to Champions League qualification.

Qualifying for the Champions League could also help persuade Isak to stay at the St. James' Park. Recently he has been linked with Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona. If Newcastle are not playing in European soccer's top competition, then it will be difficult to keep a striker as talented as Isak happy at the club.

2. Gabriel Magalhaes

The last three winners of the Player of the Season award have been attacking players. Ruben Dias was the last defender to win it back in the 2020/21 campaign. We could be in an era when more defensive players get the credit they deserve — with Rodri winning the Ballon d'Or last year.

Gabriel Magalhaes has been a rock at the back for Arsenal this season. He is also a huge threat from set-pieces, and has scored three times this campaign. The Gunners are just six points behind Liverpool as things stand in the Premier League. If they do go on to win it, then Gabriel is one player who should be a contender for the award.

1. Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah won the Player of the Season award for the 2017/18 campaign. That season, Liverpool did not even win the league. However, they are title favorites right now and Salah has been outstanding.

Salah is the leading scorer in the division with 21 goals — he also has the most assists with 13. We also do not know if he will be playing his soccer at Anfield next season.

The Egyptian's contract runs out at the end of the campaign, and there are no signs that it will be extended. He has been heavily linked with moving to the Saudi Pro League. Although, if he wins the Player of the Season award, then it will prove that it is way too early for him to depart the Premier League.