Former Arsenal player Paul Merson has praised Ross Barkley, who was rejected by Chelsea and is now a star player for Luton Town. Merson believes Barkley has the potential to be named the Premier League Player of the Season. Barkley impressed during his time at Everton, leading Chelsea to spend €16.8 million to sign him in January 2018. However, he struggled to make an impact at Stamford Bridge and was eventually loaned to Aston Villa. Despite returning to Chelsea in 2021, Barkley was not given much playing time and was eventually released by the club in August 2022. During his time at Chelsea, Barkley played 100 games, scoring 12 goals and providing 11 assists. After a successful season at OGC Nice, Barkley joined Luton in August 2023 and has been their standout player, contributing three goals and three assists in 17 Premier League matches. Merson, in his column for Sky Sports, praised Barkley for his performances and believes he has a chance to win the Player of the Season award.
Last season, Erling Haaland of Manchester City won the Premier League Player of the Season award after scoring 36 goals in 35 league matches. Haaland has continued his impressive form this season, scoring 14 goals and providing four assists in 16 games. If he maintains this level of performance, he could win the award for the second consecutive season. Haaland’s teammate Phil Foden is also a contender for the award. The versatile English player has scored five goals and provided seven assists in 21 Premier League matches. He recently scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory over Brentford. Another strong candidate for the award is Mohamed Salah of Liverpool. Salah has scored 14 goals and provided eight assists in 20 matches, making him the league’s top contributor in terms of goals and assists. His performances have been crucial in keeping Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table this season.