The six-man shortlist for the PFA Player of the Year award 2018 has been announced, with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah an unsurprising candidate.
The 25-year-old has had an incredible impact in his first season at Anfield, scoring 39 goals and providing 13 assists in 44 appearances in all competitions.
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Having spearheaded Liverpool’s pursuit of a top four finish and their progression in the Champions League, the Egyptian undoubtedly deserves all the credit that he has received this year having taken his game to the next level after starring for Roma last season.
However, he will face stiff competition from Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, who has also been magnificent this season as the heartbeat of Pep Guardiola’s side.
The 26-year-old has 11 goals and 20 assists in 47 outings this season, and he has undoubtedly been fundamental in taking City to the brink of winning the Premier League title.
As a result, both Salah and De Bruyne will arguably emerge as the top two candidates to win the award, but they’ll certainly face stiff competition from David De Gea, Harry Kane, Leroy Sane and David Silva who have also been crucial to their respective teams this year.
It remains to be seen who follows N’Golo Kante in winning the award after the Chelsea star was magnificent in their run to the title last season, with Football Focus officially announcing the nominees live on their show on Saturday with voting already concluded from the players.
Full list of PFA Player of the Year nominees:
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
David De Gea (Man Utd)
Harry Kane (Tottenham)
Leroy Sane (Manchester City)
David Silva (Manchester City)