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The Premier League 2023-24 season will kickstart in a week. The excitement and anticipation ahead of the new season will soon be at a fever pitch. Why wouldn't it? It's been a good summer for Premier League clubs with the traditional powerhouses in particular breaking the bank and fortifying their ranks.
The pre-season is underway and if the matches so far are a sign of things to come, Premier League fans are in for a treat as always. With even more high-profile players and talented youngsters added to the roster, the upcoming Premier League season promises to be unmissable.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the five early favourites to win the Premier League Player of the Season in the upcoming campaign.
#5 Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
With his exciting and mature performances for Arsenal last season, Bukayo Saka has firmly established himself as one of the best wingers in the Premier League. He carried that form into the summer and produced top-drawer performances for England in the UEFA Euro qualifiers.
Still only 21 years old, Saka has the potential to burgeon into one of the finest attackers of the modern era. Blessed with a low centre of gravity, nimble touches, excellent decision-making and a thunderclap of a shot, he is almost certain to continue to wreak havoc for Arsenal this term.
#4 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Liverpool struggled to hit their stride last season and if not for a flurry of positive results towards the business end of the campaign, they'd have been left with little to look back on. But even in an underperforming Liverpool side, Mohamed Salah went about his business like clockwork.
Salah allayed concerns over his age and perhaps being given a bumper contract a bit too late in his career by once again being Liverpool's main man in attack. He scored 19 goals and provided 12 assists in 38 appearances in the Premier League for Jurgen Klopp's side.
We expect more of the same from him this term. With a revitalised midfield and attackers returning from injury, Liverpool are also expected to return to their menacing best in the upcoming season.
#3 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
Kevin De Bruyne did a phenomenal job in midfield for Manchester City last season. He was their creator-in-chief and it was his doggedness, creativity and technical qualities that often gave City an edge over their opponents.
He scored seven goals and provided 18 assists in 32 Premier League appearances in the 2022-23 season. De Bruyne has been City's most indispensable player under Pep Guardiola and that is set to continue in the upcoming campaign.
De Bruyne has already won the Premier League Player of the Season award twice in his career (2019-20 and 2021-22) so far.
#2 Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
Bruno Fernandes is one of the most creative players on the planet. He has undoubtedly been a transformative signing for Manchester United. The Portuguese midfielder's quick thinking, the technical ability to execute difficult and extremely effective passes helps him carve out plenty of opportunities for his teammates.
With Fernandes on the pitch, United don't have to worry about suffering from a dearth of chances. He created the most number of big chances (32) and made the most number of key passes (121) in the Premier League last season.
The 28-year-old has looked sharp in pre-season and looks set to have a fantastic campaign.
#1 Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
After breaking countless goalscoring records in his debut season in the Premier League, Erling Haaland is certainly the player to watch in the upcoming campaign. Still just 23 years of age, Haaland has already established himself as the best striker on the planet.
The Norwegian marksman has incredible quality all around him and there's no reason why his form should suffer a dip this season. He won the Premier League Player of the Season award last term and is the early favourite to win it again as we approach the 2023-24 campaign.
