PFA Player of the Year Tips: Rodri's the real deal but 20/1 Chelsea man the danger

• Man City again dominate betting for 24/25 PFA POTY

• Rodri the man to side with at 11/26.50

• Cole Palmer the biggest danger at 20/121.00

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Three Manchester City stars were named on the shortlist for the upcoming PFA Player of the Year award, and Pep Guardiola's men again dominate the betting market for the 2024-25 campaign.

Phil Foden won Premier League Player of the Year, Erling Haaland the Golden Boot and Rodri plaudits from all corners for holding the entire unit together.

Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins had outstanding returns for goals and assists while Martin Odegaard led Arsenal's title challenge - and while we don't yet know who will win the crown there's no reason to suggest all of them won't be involved again in the shake-up.

Liverpool and Man City have shared the spoils over the last six years but there's no Reds on the list for last season - so can Arne Slot revive their fortunes, or can another team break their stranglehold? Let's have a look at the top 10 contenders including a few at decent prices.

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Kevin De Bruyne - 9/25.50

I must admit I'm surprised to see KDB at the head of the market as I've got serious concerns about his fitness at 33. Yes, he's still a fabulous player and he got 10 assists from just 15 starts last season, so if he could play a full season he'd be right up there - but that's a huge IF.

Guardiola will give him plenty of rest and the extended Champions League won't help - plus Rodri's leadership, Erling Haaland's goals and Phil Foden's all-round game have put those three ahead of him in City's pecking order of stars.

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Rodri - 11/26.50

City hardly lose when he's in the side and he led Spain to Euros glory leading Rodri to now become one of the biggest names in football. He's the best in his position maybe in the world, and that aura counts for a lot when players are voting.

The Spaniard's consistency means he'll very rarely disappoint and he'll be on the shortlist next year as long as he stays fit, which gives him an edge over other players more dependant on goals or assists to press their claims.

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Phil Foden - 6/17.00

27 goals, 19 in the league with eight assists, was some return for Phil Foden, and enough to win him Premier League Player of the Year as he became City's main man going forward with De Bruyne having to sit out with his injury problems.

The negative for backing Foden is that he'll be hard pressed to replicate last season and in a team full of stars the plaudits may be split with his own team-mates.

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Erling Haaland - 9/110.00

Another 27 league goals (from 29 starts) and the Golden Boot for the Norwegian goalscoring phenom - but could he be a victim of his own success? We're already starting to take Haaland for granted and comment more on when he fails to score than when he does.

He's kind of on a hiding to nothing for me and anything less than 30 goals from a full Premier League season will be viewed as almost below par, as stupid as that sounds. In a similar way to Mohamed Salah's continued scoring brilliance being overlooked at times (even though the Egyptian has won this twice).

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Declan Rice - 10/111.00

I thought Rice was harshly overlooked in this year's shortlist as he was superb for Arsenal, but perhaps comparisons to Rodri don't help as he's not up to the Spaniard's level so why would you vote for him?

So the Gunners will have to win the league for Rice to stand a chance, and even then I think one of his team-mates could pip him at the post.

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Bukayo Saka - 12/113.00

Saka is an interesting one as the reigning Young Player of the Year who is on that list again this year but not the senior award - so he's well-liked by his fellow pros but is perhaps not as eye-catching as, say, a Cole Palmer.

Arsenal will have to win the league for him to get the nod here and he'll also have to score a few more goals but after 11, 14 and 16 in his last three league campaigns he's heading in the right direction.

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Mohamed Salah - 12/113.00

Winner in 2018 and 2022, Mohamed Salah still had 18 goals and 10 assists in a 'down' year last season (from just 28 starts) and but for some ropey finishing from some of his team-mates he could have supplied a good few more goals.

It could be his last season at Liverpool, and if Arne Slot gets the ball to him in enough dangerous positions and he stays fit for the entire campaign then the Egyptian could again be right in the thick of things.

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Martin Odegaard - 14/115.00

The Arsenal skipper looks like one of the big dangers to the Man City mob just as the Gunners seem the major rivals for the title. Shortlisted this year, the Norwegian is an excellent leader and his performances go way beyond just goals and assist stats.

He scores vital goals at vital times, and can play a through ball as good as anyone, but he also controls the game and sets the tempo and if there's another big title challenge from Mikel Arteta's side he'll likely get the votes.

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Cole Palmer - 20/121.00

Cole Palmer was all the rage after his move from Man City to Chelsea yielded 22 goals and 11 assists in the league - and all accomplished with a nonchalance and arrogance that's made him an instant fan favourite, and favourite with his felow pros.

Shortlisted for Young Player and Player of the Year this year playing in a poor Chelsea side, in an improved team the sky's the limit for Palmer and seems the best bet outside of the City bunch.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold - 50/151.00

The Liverpool right-back (or is it midfielder?) is a fascinating prospect under new management in Arne Slot and at 25 should be right in the prime of his career as one of the best passers in world football - a point crucially most of his fellow pros agree with.

He won the Young Player awards double in 2019-20 after 13 assists in Liverpool's title victory, and if Slot makes him a top priority then from either out wide or in midfield Alexander-Arnold could easily get back to that sort of production - which would put him right in the mix at a big price.

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Final Verdict

Ollie Watkins made the shortlist this year as the league's top assister so 40/141.00 on him looks generous, but that type of production again seems unlikely, while 40/141.00 Bruno Fernandes could get plenty of goals and assists but not enough to challenge the front runners.

Son Heung-min is a firm favourite and Dominic Solanke's arrival could help him launch a 66/167.00 bid and two huge outsiders who could conceivably trouble the judges are Diogo Jota and Christopher Nkunku who are both 100/1101.00.

They're outsiders for a reason, but a fully fit Nkunku is a real talent and one good enough to win both Player of the Year and Players Player of the Year in Germany in 2022, while Jota is a goal machine with a huge season just waiting to happen.

Maybe Slot can get a full season out of Jota, and if he does his numbers could be crazy as his non-penalty goals per 90 stats are better than anyone in the league, Haaland included, whle his goals & assists per 90 trailed only Haaland, De Bruyne & Palmer last season. A full season of that production could see Jota come out of nowhere.

But out of the serious contenders, Rodri is the one I'd side with just for his consistency levels and the fact City are really going to be tested going for five in a row and at the peak of his fame he'll be a name on a lot of players' minds.

Martin Odegaard and Cole Palmer are his main threats, with preference going to the Chelsea man at 20/121.00 as he's very much in trend among his fellow pros and with a little more help the Blues could have a much better season.