Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard have both been nominated for the 2023/24 PFA Players’ Player of the Year award.
The London-based duo join Manchester City trio Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Rodri on a six-man shortlist that was announced on Tuesday morning.
Also up for the prize is Ollie Watkins, whose 27 goals across all competitions last season helped propel Aston Villa back into the Champions League for the first time since 1982/83, before he enjoyed a memorable summer with England at Euro 2024 - scoring a last-gasp semi-final winner against the Netherlands.
Palmer - who set up that memorable Watkins goal in Dortmund - is nominated after enjoying a stellar debut campaign for Chelsea that followed his £42.5million switch from Manchester City on transfer deadline day last summer, also notching 27 goals and registering 15 assists in 48 total appearances.
Odegaard, meanwhile, was once again a vital part of Arsenal’s latest Premier League title bid last term, the skipper remaining hugely influential in midfield with 11 goals and as many assists.
However, the Gunners again fell short of Manchester City on the final day, with the reigning champions unsurprisingly well represented on the latest PFA awards list.
Haaland will look to retain his PFA Player of the Year award after notching 38 goals in a prolific second season in English football.
Foden was equally as essential to City’s latest title success under Pep Guardiola, producing 27 goals and 12 assists across all competitions.
Making City tick in midfield was Rodri, who had nine goals and 14 assists before being an important member of the Spain squad that triumphed at the European Championship.
The nominees for the women’s PFA Players’ Player of the Year award were also confirmed on Tuesday, with the shortlist split evenly between title rivals Chelsea and Manchester City.
Champions Chelsea’s Erin Cuthbert, Lauren James and Niamh Charles have all been recognised, along with City trio Bunny Shaw, Lauren Hemp and Yui Hasegawa.
The respective nominees for PFA Young Player of the Year were revealed on Monday, with Foden and Palmer joining Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka plus Manchester United duo Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, as well as Brighton’s Joao Pedro. That award is also currently held by Haaland.
Lauren James is also up for the women’s PFA young player award, along with Chelsea team-mate Aggie Beever-Jones, Manchester United pair Maya Le Tissier and Grace Clinton, who spent last season on loan at Tottenham, plus City’s Jess Park and Khiara Keating.
The winners will be announced at next week’s 51st PFA Awards ceremony, to be held at the Manchester Opera House on Tuesday, August 20.
