We assess the standing of the players on the shortlist for the award before the winner is announced in October

1) Harry Kane (England/Bayern Munich)

Even adjusting for the goal-drunken Bundesliga, his 61 goals in 51 matches for Bayern last season undersells his all-around impact, considering his playmaking and hold-up skills. Kane was gameplanned out of England’s later games at the World Cup, but he was unstoppable through the last-16 to close out the finest year of his career to date. If not now, when?