Nominations Announced for Men's PFA Young Player of the Year

Six nominations have been announced for the 2024 PFA Young Plater of the Year by the Professional Footballers' Association on Monday. Some of last season’s best young players were included.

However, in order to get nominated for the award, a player must be 21 years old or younger at the start of the season. Therefore, players like Phil Foden, Brennan Johnson, Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak won’t be eligible for the nomination. The winner will be announced at a ceremony on 20th August. But before that, here’s a look at the nominees. 

1) Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) 

Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, who took home last year’s Young Player of the Year award, is up for it again this season. He’s still eligible because he won’t turn 22 until September. During the 2023/24 season, the 22-year-old winger established himself as one of the best attackers in the Premier League. He was Arsenal’s top scorer last season, with 16 goals. He further chipped in with 9 assists. With another season of experience under his belt, Saka will look to take the Gunners back to the very pinnacle of English football this season. 

2) Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United) 

Manchester United fans had a rather disappointing 2023/24 season, ending up in 8th place. However, one bright spot was Alejandro Garnacho's impressive rise into the starting XI. The young Argentinian, who turned 20 in July, established himself as a starting caliber Premier League winger. His pace and trickery frightened opposing defenders. He made 36 appearances in the Premier League last season, scoring 7 goals and assisting a further 4 goals.  

3) Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United) 

Another Manchester United youngster, Kobbie Mainoo took to Premier League football like a duck to water. Mainoo is calm beyond his years, and that’s the reason Erik Ten Hag trusted him when the Red Devils were in a sort of injury crisis. Ten Hag’s belief has paid off, as the 19-year-old went on to become one of United’s most important players last season. Furthermore, Mainoo went on to star for the Three Lions at the 2024 Euro in which England advanced to the finals. 

4) Cole Palmer (Chelsea) 

Arguably the breakout player of the 2023/24 season. Many fans were left puzzled by Palmer’s decision to trade Manchester City’s blue for Chelsea’s blue. However, from the very beginning, Cole Palmer proved his doubters wrong. Besides Erling Haaland, no other player scored more goals than Palmer in the Premier League. The 22-year-old scored 21 goals and provided 11 assists during the 2023/24 season. He is the odds-on favorite to win the 2024 PFA Young Player of the Year award. 

5) Michael Olise (Crystal Palace) 

Crystal Palace and its fans will be reeling after losing Michael Olise during the summer transfer window to Bayern Munich. However, his last season as a Palace player was probably his best. In just 19 Premier League appearances, Olise managed to score 10 goals and provide 6 assists to his teammates. The French wizard became one of the most feared wingers in the Prem, as defender had no answers for his wizardry. Premier League truly lost one of its best players this summer. 

6) Joao Pedro (Brighton) 

Brighton made a big splash by paying a club-record £30 million for Joao Pedro, and many fans were skeptical about the hefty price tag, given his limited Premier League experience. But it turns out the gamble paid off. The 22-year-old striker proved his worth by netting 9 goals in his debut season with the Seagulls, showing that Brighton’s analytics department had struck gold once again. Despite his impressive debut season, several Brighton fans are concerned by his injury record. But with the new season on the horizon, Pedro will look to arrest those fears this season. 

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