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The footballing season is approaching its end and the competition for places is heating up every day. Liverpool and Manchester City are going toe to toe for the Premier League title and are showing no signs of complacency. Meanwhile, the race for the Champions League places has never been more exciting, with four teams competing with each other for the remaining 2 places.
There will be some silverware to lift at the end of the season, not just for the teams but for the individuals as well. The PFA Player of the Year is awarded to the best performing player of the Premier League season and is the most prestigious individual award in England.
Mohamed Salah is the current holder of the award, following his incredible record-breaking campaign with Liverpool last season. We decided to rank the top 5 contenders who will battle it out for the PFA Player of the Year award at the end of this season:
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#5 Sadio Mane (Liverpool):
Sadio Mane has been Liverpool's talisman this season. The 27-year old has made 40 appearances so far for Liverpool this season, scoring 17 goals and providing 1 assist. The Senegalese international was mesmerizing to watch in the month of March and was awarded the Premier League Player of the Month.
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Mane stepped up for his side when teammate Mo Salah was firing blanks in front of goal and kept Liverpool in the battle with Manchester City for the Premier League title. The forward has been making headlines in Europe as well.
His brace against Bayern Munich in the Champions League carried Liverpool into the quarter-finals of the competition. The 27-year-old has been consistently delivering brilliant performances this season and will definitely be one of the contenders to win the Player of the Year this season.
#4 Eden Hazard (Chelsea):
Eden Hazard is considered one of the best players in the world and possesses unmatched qualities. The Belgian is having another wonderful season and has scored 16 goals so far this season in the Premier League.
The 28-year-old is also joint top of the assists chart with 12, alongside Christian Eriksen in the league. Only Jadon Sancho has provided more assists (13) in Europe's top 5 leagues. Hazard is averaging 2.6 shots per game, 2.6 key passes per game and 3.5 dribbles per game in the Premier League this season.
The Belgian international has been linked with a move away from the Premier League this summer, with Real Madrid being interested in his service. The 28-year-old might be having his last season in the Premier League and the PFA Player of the Year award will be the perfect parting gift for him.
#3 Sergio Aguero (Manchester City):
The 30-year-old Argentine has been Manchester City's most consistent performer for the last 7 years and is already a legend at the club. The striker has scored 162 goals in 232 Premier League appearances so far for Manchester City.
He also took over Alan Shearer's record for most hat-tricks in the Premier League, and the Argentine is leading the goal-scoring charts with 19 goals in the Premier League. Naturally, he is on route to winning his second ever Premier League Golden Boot. Aguero has also chipped in with 7 assist this season in the Premier League.
The Argentine is considered as one of the best players to ever embrace the Premier League by many fans and pundits, which is a great achievement considering the fact that the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry and many of the best in the game have played in the Premier League.
#2 Raheem Sterling (Manchester City):
Raheem Sterling has been in inspiring form for Manchester City this season. The 24-year-old has drastically improved under Pep Guardiola and has been a key figure for his side. The England international has certainly improved on his finishing and has become much more composed in front of goal.
Sterling has netted 17 goals and contributed another 9 assists in the Premier League so far this season for Manchester City. He is also averaging 2.3 shots per game, 2 key passes per game and 2.4 dribbles per game this season in the Premier League.
Sterling has been at the end of a lot of criticism by the media and the fans, but he has been proving his critics wrong with spectacular performances on the pitch every week and he deserves to be in the running for the PFA Player of the Year.
#1 Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool):
Virgil van Dijk has turned into one of the best centre-backs in the world since his arrival at Liverpool for an incredible £75 million, which remains the world record fee for a defender. Liverpool had the pace and quality going forward and were scoring loads of goals, but they lacked solidity at the back.
But since the arrival of the Dutch centre-back, Liverpool have transformed into one of the best defensive sides in Europe. They have conceded just 20 goals in the Premier League this season, which is the lowest in Europe's top 5 leagues.
The 6'4" centre-back is almost unbeatable in the air and wins 4.5 aerial duels per game. Van Dijk possesses the ability to play from the back and completes 89.7% of his attempted passes in the Premier League. These qualities make him one of the most complete modern centre-backs in the world.
Van Dijk has been by far the best player in the league so far and will be the favorite to lift the prestigious PFA Player of the Year trophy at the end of the season.
