Mark Goldbridge names a shortlist of three Player of the Year candidates with stars from Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, but the Tottenham man is out of luck

Mark Goldbridge believes Alexis MacAllister, Cole Palmer and Declan Rice are the frontrunners for the Premier League Player of the Year award.

There have been several standout stars in the 2023/24 season and it remains to be seen who will take the individual awards at the end of the campaign.

The tastes of city ​​of manchester Stars Erling Haaland and Phil Foden will certainly be in contention, as will LiverpoolIt's Virgil van Dijk.

But when asked for his top three picks for Player of the Year, Manchester United fan and talkSPORT columnist Goldbridge began by naming Arsenal and Liverpool stars in his shortlist of three.

“I think Declan Rice has to be there,” Goldbridge said. “It is very rare that you get a £100m player who justifies that fee almost instantly.

“I think he's gotten into that Arsenal team and added something they needed and it's ridiculously impressive that he's been so consistent in taking that step forward. So Declan Rice has to be there.”

Rice has been a revelation since swapping West Ham for the Gunners last summer in a staggering £105m deal.

The 25-year-old has been a driving force in the midfield that has ultimately helped them compete for the Premier League title.

The same can be said for Mac Allister, who has arguably been Liverpool's best midfielder this season.

The 24-year-old, who was signed by a Brighton's £35m bargainhas thrived in an unlikely holding role.

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Goldbridge added: “I would also say Alexis Mac Allister in Liverpool. I mean, £35 million, that's ridiculous value for money and he's vital to Liverpool.

“We've seen it in recent weeks, but throughout the season he has changed the rules of the game in that midfield.”

A surprising mention was Tottenham Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who has been a revelation since arriving at the club from Empoli in the summer, despite sometimes under scrutiny.

The Italian international signed a three-year contract with the club until 2028 and has undoubtedly filled the void left by Hugo Lloris, who joined Los Angeles FC.

However, Vicario narrowly missed out as Goldbridge opted for Chelsea talisman Palmer.

Goldbridge continued: “And the third… I mean, I think Guglielmo Vicario at Spurs has been brilliant, although he's been in a bit of a stagnation lately.

Another who has become the center of attention is Palmer, who He changed Manchester City for Chelseaand he has been the Blues' best signing during the Todd Boehly era.

The 21-year-old joined the Blues in a £40million deal on deadline day after becoming frustrated by the lack of opportunities at the Etihad.

Palmer has been a bright spark in a disappointing Chelsea team that sits 10th in the standings. first division despite spending more than £1 billion since May 2022.

“I'm going to bet on Cole Palmer in Chelsea. It has been quite comfortably Chelsea's best signingAnd sometimes in a bad season, having a player like that has been ridiculously consistent.

“I'll probably give it to Palmer instead of Vicario, but I just wanted to say hi.

“So I'd go with Cole Palmer, Alexis Mac Allister and Declan Rice, for me.”