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Premier League player of the season: 20 candidates ranked featuring Kevin De Bruyne and Mo Salah

Who will win the prestigious prize this year?

Matthew Chivers,Lawrence Ostlere

Friday 07 February 2020 14:11 GMT

Clockwise from right: Jordan Henderson, Mo Salah, Jamie Vardy, Kevin De Bruyne (Getty)

As we find ourselves two-thirds of the way through the Premier League season, the conversation of 'Player of the Year’ has begun, with a host of Liverpool players in contention.

Captain Jordan Henderson is the favourite to win the coveted award announced in April. His commanding performances have been pivotal in the Reds’ 42-game unbeaten run in the league.

Despite not scoring a league goal since 2 January, Sadio Mane has emerged as one of the world’s best forwards and has a chance of becoming the third consecutive Liverpool player to win the award.

The ever-consistent Virgil van Dijk will be contention and so will Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne, who has 15 assists and seven goals this season for the reigning champions.

Jamie Vardy and Sergio Aguero are arguably the best of the rest trying to buck the trend of Liverpool dominance, as Roberto Firmino and Trent Alexander-Arnold could also be considered.

Player of the season contenders

Show all 20

1/20Player of the season contenders

Player of the season contenders

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal)

20. Aubameyang has racked up 14 goals and will challenge for the Golden Boot.

Action Images via Reuters

Player of the season contenders

Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City)

19. Mahrez has been a rare ray of light for City this season, with seven assists.

Getty Images

Player of the season contenders

Adama Traore (Wolves)

18. Traore has been a sensation, causing full-backs countless problems with his powerful dribbling

Getty Images

Player of the season contenders

Fabinho (Liverpool)

17. One of the less heralded of the soon-to-be title winners, Fabinho has dictated from deep and protected the back four

Getty Images

Player of the season contenders

Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)

16. Rashford has carried Manchester United at times this season, although his injury woes may scupper any chances of an end-of-year gong

AFP via Getty Images

Player of the season contenders

Danny Ings (Southampton)

15. Ings has produced an extraordinary run of form to get himself in the mix for the Golden Boot

Getty Images

Player of the season contenders

Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City)

14. The full-back has been outstanding at both ends of the field for the Foxes

Leicester City FC via Getty Imag

Player of the season contenders

Wilfried Ndidi (Leicester City)

13. Another Leicester player who has shone this season, and the team have sorely missed him when injured

PA

Player of the season contenders

James Maddison (Leicester City)

12. Six goals and three assists undersells the creative influence of Maddison in the third best team so far this season

Action Images via Reuters

Player of the season contenders

Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)

11. Despite some injury struggles Aguero still second in the league's scoring charts

Getty Images

Player of the season contenders

Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)

10. The midfielder has led by example on the field as Villa's talisman

Getty Images

Player of the season contenders

Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)

9. Top of the league's scoring charts with 17 and surely more to come

Reuters

Player of the season contenders

Alisson Becker (Liverpool)

8. Has been an exceptional goalkeeper since arriving in the Premier League, and near faultless all season

REUTERS

Player of the season contenders

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

7. Not quite at his ruthless best this year yet still has 14 goals and is in fine form

EPA

Player of the season contenders

Virgl van Dijk (Liverpool)

6. The defender has had a little less defending to do this year but has still been peerless at the back and a threat going forwards

Getty Images

Player of the season contenders

Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

5. A ridiculous 15 assists already marks the Belgian out as the outstanding non-Liverpool player

Getty

Player of the season contenders

Sadio Mane (Liverpool)

4. One of the outstanding forwards in world football with 11 league goals this term

EPA

Player of the season contenders

Roberto Firmino (Liverpool)

3. The sensational Firmino has been integral to Liverpool's football this term as the link man between midfield and attack

Getty

Player of the season contenders

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)

2. The full-back has had another supreme campaign as one of Liverpool's most influential players, with 10 assists already

AP

Player of the season contenders

Jordan Henderson

1. Henderson is Liverpool's unsung hero, the captain who puts everyone else first, but he is starting to get the recognition he deserves this year

Getty

Take a look through the gallery to see who makes our top 20.

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