Four-time Golden Boot winner Mohamed Salah has also left the Premier League, but Liverpool will hope that Alexander Isak can now step up to be their main source of goals after an injury-plagued debut season at Anfield. There will be plenty of other hungry, talented strikers aiming to dethrone Haaland, too, both from the pre-existing Premier League pool and the new arrivals in the summer transfer window.
The question is: who should be considered the frontrunner to claim the prize? Below, PMTV SPORTS ranks the 10 leading candidates for this season's Golden Boot...
*10. Dominic Solanke (Tottenham*
Dominic Solanke has only mustered 12 Premier League goals across his first two seasons at Tottenham, seven less than he scored in his solitary campaign on Bournemouth's books, which initially convinced Spurs to fork out £60 million ($81m) for his services. However, his cause hasn't been helped by frustrating injuries.
Indeed, the 28-year-old missed 19 games in the first half of last season while recovering from ankle surgery, and a muscle complaint kept him out of Spurs' final four Premier League fixtures. It was impossible for Solanke to build up any proper rhythm as a consequence, particularly as the team was drawn into an embarrassing relegation battle.
*9. Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City)*
Antoine Semenyo was very unlucky not to be nominated for the PFA Player of the Year after a superb 2025-26 campaign that saw him dazzle for both Bournemouth and Manchester City. He scored 10 Premier League goals in the first half of the season for the Cherries to earn a blockbuster £65m ($87m) move to City, where he added another seven to his tally in 17 appearances under the stewardship of Guardiola - and hit the winner in the FA Cup final to boot.
*8. Benjamin Sesko (Manchester United)*
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Benjamin Sesko's debut year at Manchester United was solid, but not quite good enough to justify the club's £74m ($100m) investment in his services. That being said, things might have been different had Carrick been in charge from the start of the 2025-26 campaign, because Ruben Amorim didn't seem to have any desire to play to Sesko's strengths.
Seven of Sesko's 11 Premier League goals came after Carrick's arrival, although he also had to make do with becoming an impact substitute. Carrick recognised that Sesko was more dangerous against tired legs instead of rigid low blocks, utilising his clever movement, strength and pace to overwhelm opponents on the counter.
The challenge this term is for Sesko to show he can also deliver as a starter.
*7. Igor Thiago (Brentford)*
Brentford have a brilliant track record when it comes to the development of talented frontmen, with the likes of Ollie Watkins, Neal Maupay and Ivan Toney all excelling at the Vitality Stadium, but Igor Thiago has the potential to eclipse them all. The Brazilian's first year at the club was ruined by a serious injury, but he returned in better shape than ever last term, and proceeded to bang in goals for fun.
*6. Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)*
Ollie Watkins' consistency as Aston Villa's leading man has been mightily impressive. The England international has hit 15 or more goals in each of the last four seasons, and he's one of the main reasons Villa have become mainstays in the Premier League's top six under Unai Emery.
*5. Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal)*
Viktor Gyokeres has not quite lived up to expectations in an Arsenal shirt. But that's only because they were ridiculously high after his 53-goal final season at Sporting CP, who stormed to a league and cup double thanks to his prolific strike rate, and reached the Champions League knockout stage playoffs.
In his first few months at the Emirates, Gyokeres looked like an awkward fit in Mikel Arteta's lineup. He struggled to get involved in open play and questions were asked over his physical quality. But the former Brighton man is nothing if not persistent.
*4. Cole Palmer (Chelsea)*
A year ago, no one would have imagined Cole Palmer missing out on England's World Cup squad. That's exactly what happened, though, and it was difficult to complain given how much his influence dwindled at Chelsea. In fairness to Palmer, he was clearly burnt out after a a mammoth 52-game 2024-25 campaign that precluded Chelsea's successful run to the Club World Cup crown at FIFA's expanded summer tournament. He was laid low with an groin injury at the end of August, and didn't return to full fitness until mid-December.
*3. Alexander Isak (Liverpool)*
The last 11 months have been a nightmare for Alexander Isak, who became the most expensive player in Premier League history when he joined Liverpool from Newcastle for £125m in September 2025. He sat out 33 games for club and country due to a broken fibula and various muscle issues, and consequently never built up any kind of rhythm for Liverpool, mustering just four goals and one assist across a measly 22 appearances, with just 13 of those coming as a starter.
*2. Erling Haaland (Manchester City)*
Erling Haaland is a freak of nature. How else do you describe a player who has racked up 112 Premier League goals in just 132 matches?
The Man City star boasts the perfect physique for a striker, which allows him to brush defenders aside with ease, and has ice in his veins when he gets a sight of the white posts. Frighteningly, he also become more involved in City's build-up play last season, and his output will only increase as he continues to improve the technical side of his game.
However, there is no way of knowing for certain how Guardiola's exit will affect Haaland in the coming months.
*1. Joao Pedro (Chelsea)*
There is one man who will be more motivated than anyone to pip Haaland to the finishing post, though. Joao Pedro didn't even get the chance to compete at the World Cup because he was cruelly left out of the Brazil squad by Carlo Ancelotti, who inexplicably completed his forward line with the addition of 34-year-old has-been Neymar, and a subsequent round of 16 exit ensured that decision aged like milk.
Chelsea's only bright spark in a dismal campaign was Pedro, who scored 14 Premier League goals while setting up another four after his £50m ($67m) transfer from Brighton. The 24-year-old kept a cool head while all around him seemed to be losing theirs, conjuring up goals out of nothing and taking it upon himself to drop deeper to connect the play whenever possible.
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