Pundit with maverick pick to rival Mo Salah, Harry Kane for Golden Boot
Paul Merson has selected an “out of the ordinary” pick to rival Mohamed Salah for next season’s Premier League Golden Boot award.
Salah was pipped to the award in 2020/21 when Harry Kane (23) scored on the final day of the season against Leicester to beat Salah by one goal.
The Egypt forward though has claimed the award twice before and Sky Sports pundit Merson believes that it is even more impressive because he is a winger.
Salah, 30, first won the award during the 2017/18 season, recording an amazing 32 goals. He then shared the award the following season with Sadio Mane and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, each scoring 22 goals.
Merson though, whose best goalscoring season in the Premier League was a seven-goal haul in 1993/94, has a maverick pick this time around.
The 53-year-old former Arsenal forward thinks Dominic Calvert-Lewin could challenge the likes of Salah and Harry Kane.
“Mohamed Salah will once again be in the reckoning as he always is,” Merson told Sportkeeda.
“It’s weird because he’s a winger, but that’s how good he is.
“I always like to pick someone out of the ordinary. So I’m going to go for Dominic Calvert-Lewin to be in the running for the Premier League Golden Boot as well.
“He started the 2020-21 season in stunning style, but Everton didn’t play to his strengths in the second half of the season.
“Rafa will make sure Calvert-Lewin gets the service he requires and urge his wingers to put balls into the box.
“He’s going to play every week and could have an outside chance of winning the Premier League Golden Boot if he builds on what he achieved last season.”
Subscribe for free to TEAMtalk’s daily newsletter…
Everton close to double deal
As Merson mentioned, Benitez looks set to make sure Calvert-Lewin has a regular supply line next season.
Former Leicester attacker Demarai Gray is all set to arrive at Goodison.
Both The Telegraph and The Times report that Everton are closing in on the signing of Gray, 25, who has only been with Bayer Leverkusen since January.
The former England Under-21 made 12 appearances for Bayer, including six starts, scoring once and assisting two goals.
Gray though has an exit clause of just £1.5m and the Toffees have met that fee and are hoping to announce the transfer imminently.
Meanwhil, former Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend, 30, is also set to sign on a free transfer.
Townsend walked away from Selhurst Park as a free agent in the summer after five years and 168 Premier League appearances.
READ MORE: A look at the leading contenders for Olympic soccer gold: Brazil, Spain, France…
The post Pundit with maverick pick to rival Mo Salah, Harry Kane for Golden Boot appeared first on TEAMtalk.