5 Contenders for Premier League Player of the Season 2025/26

Mohamed Salah enjoyed a record-breaking Premier League season in 2024/25, firing Liverpool to the title with 29 goals and 18 assists. The Egyptian winger was virtually unstoppable, scooping the Player of the Season award for a second time and reminding everyone why he’s still one of the best in the world.

But as the 2025/26 campaign kicks off, Salah’s crown is under serious threat.

With Erling Haaland hungry for redemption, Alexander Isak hitting new heights, and two major arrivals in Florian Wirtz and Viktor Gyokeres, the competition for individual honours has never been fiercer.

Here are our predictions of the 5 players most likely to win the Premier League Player of the Season award – and Salah is not #1.

#5 Florian Wirtz

Signed from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported fee of £107 million, Florian Wirtz will increase competition for places at Anfield.

More importantly, the 22-year-old forward should be the new creative force on Merseyside and potentially prove to be Philippe Coutinho’s long-lost successor at Anfield.

Wirtz fared outstandingly at the BayArena last term, tallying 10 goals and 13 assists in 31 Bundesliga fixtures.

That’s still a far cry from the numbers recent Golden Boot winners have posted, plus he will have to share the scoring burden with Salah.

It’s not easy to live in the shadow of the Reds’ talisman, but finding a way to thrive next to one of the best players in the Premier League is the only way for Wirtz to justify his price tag.

#4 Matheus Cunha

Matheus Cunha may not have been famous for his goal-scoring skills, but he was, nonetheless, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ standout performer last season.

With 15 goals, he was in the top ten in the Premier League, while his overall performances never ceased to amaze, eventually earning him a £62.5m transfer to Manchester United.

Now, Old Trafford has become a graveyard for talent. But perhaps the tutelage of Ruben Amorim could finally turn the club’s fortunes around, with Cunha at the centre of the revolution.

Alongside Bryan Mbeumo, the Brazilian forward should be the architect of a new era at the Theatre of Dreams, with the Red Devils seeking a long-awaited return to the throne.

#3 Viktor Gyokeres

Viktor Gyokeres left English football two years ago to join Sporting CP as an up-and-coming striker with untapped potential, following two seasons at Coventry City.

Now he returns to the British Islands as one of Europe’s most lethal goal-scorers, with perennial title candidates Arsenal splashing out £54.8m to make him their new No.9.

Gyokeres could be the missing component in Arsenal’s attack, offering the physicality and finishing touch they’ve lacked in recent title pushes.

With the Gunners aiming to improve on three consecutive runner-up finishes, Mikel Arteta’s hopes of halting Arsenal’s title drought will likely rest on the 2-year-old’s shoulders.

#2 Mohamed Salah

As aforementioned, Salah had an awe-inspiring season last term, but it’s worth noting that he turned 33 in June.

With that in mind, Liverpool cannot realistically expect another record-breaking campaign from their long-serving stalwart.

However, it’s impossible to rule the Premier League Player of the Season out of the equation, no matter the age.

What could undermine Salah’s pursuit of his third Player of The Season award could be Liverpool’s versatility in the final third.

Apart from Wirtz, the Reds have signed Hugo Ekitike, substantially increasing their firepower.

That extra competition in attack could derail Salah’s figures.

#1 Erling Haaland

Perhaps it’s time for the Norwegian to return to the podium.

After a thoroughly disappointing 2024/25 season, Man City will come back with vengeance.

Haaland will be central to Pep Guardiola’s quest to retrieve the title despite several summer signings.

The 25-year-old won the Golden Boot in his first two years at the Etihad Stadium, including a record-breaking 2022/23 season with 36 goals in 35 games.

No one would dare to put it past the ex-Borussia Dortmund star to smash a 30-goal barrier again this term and, in turn, win the award.