The list of nominees for the PFA Women’s Footballer of the Year award has been released, featuring players from Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Barcelona.
Players such as Sam Kerr, Rachel Daly and Khadija Shaw have all made the coveted shortlist – however, only one of them can take the award home.
In this piece, we’ll be take a look at the full list of nominees – then, we’ll break down who the favourites to win it are.
What is the full list of nominees for the PFA Women’s Footballer of the Year award?
The full list of nominees for the PFA Women’s Footballer of the Year award is as follows (alongside their respective clubs): Sam Kerr (Chelsea), Rachel Daly (Aston Villa), Guro Reiten (Chelsea), Ona Batlle (Barcelona), Khadija Shaw (Manchester City) and Frida Maanum (Arsenal).
Who are the favourites to win the award?
As the top goalscorer in the WSL last season, Rachel Daly stands out as one of the favourites to collect the award. She scored 22 goals in the league last season in 22 games, alongside five assists.
Likewise, Khadija Shaw also led a very impressive campaign for Manchester City last season. While she didn’t score as many as Daly, her tally was nonetheless formidable – she found the back of the net on 20 occasions in 2022/23, racking up seven assists along the way.
Additionally, a serious case can also be made for last year’s winner, Sam Kerr. The 2022/23 campaign was not her greatest season by any stretch, but she still remains one of the best women’s footballers in the world (and of all time).
Batlle, Maanum and Reiten also must be considered. Batlle played a major role in Manchester United’s underdog campaign, while Guro Reiten was invaluable to Chelsea last season. Meanwhile, Maanum was one of the standout players in the Champions League last season.
Over the past three years, the award has been won by Chelsea players – Bethany England, Fran Kirby and Sam Kerr, respectively. Can the Blues complete the quartet with another?
Regardless, our pick would be Daly – her immense goal contribution for a team that finished outside of the top four in the WSL is something to behold and deserves acknowledgement.