Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson expects Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne to win the PFA Player of the Year for a third time next season.

The Belgian lost out to Mo Salah for the prize last campaign but, as Merson believes the Citizens will win the title once again, he has also picked a player from Pep Guardiola’s squad to reflect that:

“I couldn’t look any further than Kevin de Bruyne for the PFA Player of the Year award. He’s the best player in the league in my opinion and has won it twice already, while he produced a handful of sensational performances in the second half of the 2021-22 season to make himself a candidate for the prize before eventually losing out to Salah.”

As Merson points out, De Bruyne was unlucky not to win the accolade for his performances over the course of the 2021/22 season. It did take him a while to get over a niggling injury but by Christmas, he was back to his very best.

From Boxing day onwards, he scored 11 goals and contributed eight assists in 18 games; a quite remarkable record for someone who isn’t a forward.

If De Bruyne can carry that form with him into the start of next season, there is no doubt that he will be one of the favourites for individual accolades at the end of the campaign.