The Manchester City marksman has finished as the top scorer in each of the past two seasons, so can anyone keep him from a three-peat?
Given the amount of sport that has dominated the summer months, you'd be forgiven for not realising that the new Premier League season is now just a few days away. And so while teams are still finessing their transfer business and making final tactical tweaks, everything is pretty much in place for the 2024-25 campaign to begin.
That means its predictions season, and here at GOAL we're no different. Over the next week our writers will be giving their takes on all the biggest issues, from the teams who are likely to be scrapping for survival to those who will be fighting for top-four finishes and the title, and everything in between.
First up, we've taken a look at the Golden Boot race, and had our say on who we believe will finish as the division's top scorer in 2024-25:
Getty Images'Cut above everyone else'
Mark Doyle: Easy: Erling Haaland. Mohamed Salah should score freely after an injury-interrupted 2023-24 campaign, while Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins and Alexander Isak should all be in contention once again. But as Fantasy Football players will tell you, there are very few prolific strikers in the Premier League right now. Haaland is a cut above everyone else, meaning, the Manchester City ace will comfortably claim the Golden Boot for the third consecutive season. Remember, the Norwegian No.9 didn’t even perform at his best last season and he still finished five goals clear of his nearest challenger.
AdvertisementUSA Today Images'Haaland by a comfortable distance'
Amee Ruszkai: No going out on a limb here. Erling Haaland won the Golden Boot by a comfortable distance last season, despite coming in for some stick at times, and I foresee him retaining it. At the end of the day, he's a stalwart up front for the Premier League's dominant team and has a star-studded cast around him creating chances. Sometimes he looks isolated, sometimes there are questions about his wider role, yet he will still put the ball in the back of the net incredibly regularly.
Getty Images'De Bruyne staying a big boost'
Richard Martin: Ever since Erling Haaland broke through and established himself as the best centre-forward in the world, the only thing that has been able to stop him is injuries. But even last year, when he missed two months with a stress fracture in his foot, he still outscored everyone, finishing with five goals more than nearest challenger Cole Palmer to scoop his second consecutive Golden Boot. Kevin De Bruyne staying at Man City is a further boost to Haaland's quest for a hat-trick of Golden Boots as the pair have a telepathic understanding. Good luck to any other strikers trying to catch him!
Getty Images'No one will get close to Haaland'
Stephen Darwin: Frankly, you'd be mad to overlook Man City goal machine Erling Haaland. He's fit and fresh after not playing at the Euros and has won the Premier League Golden Boot two years in a row since moving to England. Throw in the fact Julian Alvarez is off to Atletico Madrid – meaning Haaland is likely going to play even more minutes in 2024-25 – and it's a no brainer. No one's even going to get close to him.