As the new season draws near we're weighing up the odds, previewing who will be top goalscorer in the Premier League by the end of next May.
The main men
Clear favourite and with good reason. Van Persie has been top scorer in the league for the last two seasons and it's hard to look past him again this year. Some may argue that United won't win the title this season but seeing as Van Persie managed 30 goals during his last season with Arsenal he has already proven that he can still produce the goods even if his team is struggling.
Sergio Aguero 8/1
Last season he struggled at times with injury and often fell foul of Mancini's rotation system, but Aguero is definitely the main man now at City after the departure of Carlos Tevez. That being said, with Jovetic, Dezko and Negredo in the mix at Man City, they can find goals from many different men and therefore Aguero may have to share the glory more than the likes of Van Persie.
Knocking on the door
Luis Suarez 16/1
At 16/1 Suarez is a tasty looking gamble. He will miss the first few games of the season due to suspension and obviously the doubts around his future leaves things up in the air but if he stays at Liverpool then he guarantees you goals, and if he leaves for another Premier League side then he still guarantees you goals. In fact, should Suarez move to Arsenal then 16/1 looks mouthwatering.
Gareth Bale 16/1
Much like Suarez, the doubts around Bale's future can be off-putting when considering him for top goalscorer. He is a doubt for the season opener due to injury anyhow so perhaps leave it for another week if considering backing him and by then his club future should be more set in stone.
Roberto Soldado 16/1
Roberto Soldado is a new option when it comes to Spurs and he is a decent alternative to Bale. He got 24 goals in La Liga last season but obviously the Premier League is a completely different kettle of fish. He may well flourish but if you're looking for a bet around his price then maybe Suarez is a better option.
Wayne Rooney 16/1
Another candidate in limbo at present, Rooney has undoubtedly got the quality to finish top scorer but will he get the game time? It looks unlikely that he will with United but if he moves to Chelsea then he should be considered a strong contender.
Christian Benteke 16/1
Benteke has stayed with Aston Villa but one would imagine that the club will perform better this season. So could he better his tally of 19 goals last season? Despite fancying Aston Villa to do well I still fear Benteke won't be finishing top of the scoring charts..
The outsiders
Fernando Torres 20/1, Romelu Lukaku 20/1 and Demba Ba 40/1
The forgotten men in terms of their prices but considering Chelsea are 11/5 favourites for the league then surely their strikers should be strongly considered? 40/1 for Demba Ba is a huge price; especially considering he's twice the price of Torres at 20/1. And there's also plenty to be said for Romelu Lukaku after his excellent stint on loan at West Brom last season. He fits the bill of a Mourinho type striker better than the aforementioned pair and perhaps he is the best outside bet of the season.
Michu 66/1
Let's reflect on this for a moment. Michu finished last season with 18 goals, eight of Robin Van Persie. This season he is 66/1 to be top scorer – a huge price.
The verdict
Robin Van Persie 3/1
Romelu Lukaku 20/1
Don't miss out on your chance to get €30 in free bets from Ladbrokes in association with Balls.ie - Follow this link and use code "Balls30".
