Premier League top scorer predictions: Will Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah or Alexander Isak win the 2025-26 Golden Boot?

Friday, August 15 is a date that has been saved in many a football fan's diary, as Premier League champions Liverpool begin the 2025-26 season at home to Bournemouth in a couple of days' time.

The curtain-raiser will not just mark the start of the Reds' title defence, but the start of Mohamed Salah's quest for a second successive Golden Boot, having stormed to the individual honour with a wonderful 29 goals last season.

However, the 33-year-old's dire performance in the recent Community Shield loss to Crystal Palace left a lot to be desired, and multiple number nines will have their eyes on the glistening golden prize this time around.

Here, the Sports Mole team predicts who will be the top scorer in the 2025-26 Premier League season.

Barney Corkhill, Editor - Erling Haaland

The Golden Boot race this season should be a fascinating one. I am not expecting Mohamed Salah to reproduce the incredible numbers he got last season, but I'd still be backing him to finish as top scorer were it not for the Africa Cup of Nations in the middle of the campaign - if only because I expect Liverpool to score more goals than anyone else in the league this term.

That opens the door to an Alexander Isak wildcard prediction, but him joining Liverpool is far from a given and so backing him to win the Golden Boot because he'll be playing for the champions seems premature.

I therefore fall back on the ever-reliable Erling Haaland, who is almost guaranteed to score more than 20 league goals a season every season - something no other player in the league can claim with as much confidence.

How Haaland gels with a relatively new-look creative midfield behind him - and without the magic of Kevin De Bruyne - is still a question mark, but Man City will always create chances, and there is still no-one better in the league at taking those chances than Haaland.

My fear for Man City as a team this season is that their participation in the Club World Cup this summer and the looming World Cup next summer will combine to hamper their chances of success, and Haaland looks likely to be at the World Cup for the first time ever and so won't want to risk an injury that might see him miss out.

However, he is as close to a goals guarantee as we have in the league, and while his record-shattering debut season in the division might have set expectations impossibly high from the off, he has still scored 85 goals in 97 Premier League games - a staggering record - and it would be a major surprise if he didn't burst through the 100-goal barrier this season, in record time.

Matt Law, Football Editor - Erling Haaland

It is difficult to look past Haaland in this category; the Norway international has 85 Premier League goals in 97 appearances for Man City, and I am expecting the 25-year-old to be back to his best in England's top flight this season.

Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres will be ones to watch here, while Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak should also be in the argument, but I am finding it very difficult to look past Haaland, who also netted three times in four outings at the Club World Cup.

Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter - Erling Haaland

Throughout the whole of last season, I had Mohamed Salah in my Fantasy Football Team and did not dare bring in Erling Haaland once - a risky move that somewhat paid off. But this time around, the Scandinavian sensation was my first pick.

Very few players can replicate Kevin De Bruyne's marvellous playmaking feats, but in Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki - as well as the attack-minded Rayan Ait-Nouri - City have plenty of men who can provide Haaland with the service he needs to find the back of the net, a lot.

Taking into account Salah's participation at AFCON, the ongoing Alexander Isak transfer saga and questions over how well Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres will adapt to the Premier League, Haaland has my vote to finish top of the charts again.

Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter - Erling Haaland

Man City should improve on their turbulent 2024-25 performance, and they will likely rely on the prolific brilliance of Erling Haaland, who has scored a remarkable 85 goals in 97 Premier League appearances across the last three seasons.

After winning back-to-back PL Golden Boots in his first two years at the Etihad Stadium - netting a record-breaking 36 goals in his debut campaign - Haaland scored 22 times to finish third behind both Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak in last season’s top scorer charts.

Kevin De Bruyne is no longer around to set Haaland up in front of goal, but Pep Guardiola still has a plethora of creative players at his disposal, including a few new additions, and Man City’s Norwegian talisman will fancy his chances of winning another Golden Boot in the 2025-26 season if he receives regular service and avoids long-term injuries.

Toyosi Afolayan, Reporter - Erling Haaland

Even without Kevin De Bruyne, it’s difficult to bet against Erling Haaland claiming the Golden Boot again. His sheer efficiency in front of goal, coupled with City’s dominant attacking structure, makes him the most dangerous forward in the league.

While De Bruyne’s departure is a big change, the arrivals of creative talents like Rayan Cherki and the continued presence of players like Bernardo Silva, Foden, and Gundogan ensure Haaland won’t be starved of service.

If he stays fit, he’ll not only score in volume but might even hit unthinkable numbers. He thrives on movement, space, and chaos, all of which City will continue to manufacture in abundance.

Jonathan O'Shea, Reporter - Erling Haaland

Maybe predictable, but quite probable.

Not only will Haaland benefit from a revamped supporting cast, but he could get back to his best if Man City take a more direct approach - Pep Guardiola has already hinted as much.

In a big season for club and country - with City aiming to reclaim their crown and Norway intent on ending a long World Cup drought - the powerful frontman can surpass 20 goals, which should be enough to beat Mo Salah and co.

Joel Lefevre, Reporter - Erling Haaland

Liverpool and Manchester City made it a point to get their proven goalscorers more attacking help in the summer transfer window.

While Mohamed Salah got a lot more help with the additions of Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, along with Jeremie Frimpong, I expect the Egyptian to have to be even more of a provider than we saw last season, with their Eintracht Frankfurt signing likely to play up top and expect service from Liverpool’s number 11.

Erling Haaland may have lost a key provider in Kevin De Bruyne, but he gained another in Rayan Cherki, who boasts masterful vision and precise passing in the attacking third.

The Frenchman is young, agile and among the best passers in the game, not to mention technically gifted on the ball, all of which should enable Haaland to score more goals.

I expect Haaland to be the beneficiary of Cherki’s hard work more often than not next season.

In contrast, Salah may have to do the dual role of provider and goalscorer, which should allow the Sky Blues number nine to find the back of the net a few more times.

Anthony Brown, Reporter - Erling Haaland

It is hard to see how Haaland will not top this list again this season.

With numerous changes at Liverpool and the potential signing of Alexander Isak, along with the presence of Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, Mohamed Salah's numbers might decrease as the Reds distribute goals more evenly.

At the other contenders, questions remain over Viktor Gyokeres at Arsenal despite his goal-heavy stint in Portugal, Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer are not expected to score consistently throughout the season for Chelsea and the jury is still out on Benjamin Sesko at Manchester United.

Indeed, Haaland reclaiming the Golden Boot seems the most likely outcome.

Andrew Delaney, Reporter - Erling Haaland

Even during a “weak season” for Haaland, he still notched 22 goals in 31 games in 2024-25 so if Man City can improve on finishing 3rd with just 71 points, expect the Norwegian to increase that output closer to the 36 he managed in his debut PL campaign.

Sam Varley, Reporter - Erling Haaland

I can only envisage Manchester City making a notable improvement on a disappointing campaign last time around, in which Erling Haaland still accumulated 22 goals, taking him to 85 in 97 Premier League appearances, and I see their likely return to competing for the title only boosting the Norwegian talisman's claim for a third Golden Boot in four years in England's top flight.

Anthony Nolan, Reporter - Mohamed Salah

Liverpool's talismanic forward won both the Golden Boot and Playmaker award once again in 2024-25, without consistent and reliable attackers alongside him.

With the signings of Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, and the potential arrival of Alexander Isak, Salah could go on to secure top spot this season, too.

Lucas Tomazelli, Trivela sub-coordinator - Erling Haaland

In my opinion, Haaland will be the top scorer in the next Premier League season. I believe Manchester City's new signings can enhance his performance.

Salah may have to share his spotlight due to the arrival of players like Wirtz and Ekitike at Liverpool, while players like Gyokeres, Delap, and Sesko may struggle to adapt to their new teams.