Fabio Carvalho, the exciting Fulham attacker who is poised to join Liverpool this summer, is up for a prestigious gong at this season's English Football League awards.
The 2022 EFL awards take place later this month and they aim to recognise the shining lights across the Championship, League One and League Two. Portuguese attacker Carvalho is one of the three players in contention for the Championship's Young Player of the Season award. His rivals for the honour are Nottingham Forest pair Brennan Johnson and Djed Spence (on loan from Middlesbrough).
Carvalho is widely expected to move to Liverpool this summer once his contract at Fulham expires, with the Reds expected to complete a transfer worth around £8million.
As part of the deal, Liverpool will pay an initial £5m fee with add-ons expected to reach £2.7m, with the Merseyside outfit also agreeing to a 20 per cent sell-on percentage. There are not currently any plans for Carvalho to be loaned back to Fulham next season. It is thought that the pending transfer will now benefit Balham FC, the club where Carvalho first played after moving to London from Lisbon with his family in 2013.
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Meanwhile, the three men up for the overall Championship Player of the Season award will come as no surprise. Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has smashed the competition's goalscoring record this term, is joined by Cottagers' teammate Harry Wilson. Wilson has chipped in with a hugely impressive 10 goals and 14 assists in his first season since a big-money move from Liverpool.
One of his fellow Anfield colleagues, Dominic Solanke, is the other player up for the prized award. Solanke has hit 24 goals this term, which would have him right in contention for the golden boot were it not for Mitrovic's dazzling tally of 38 strikes. In League One, three talismanic players at promotion-chasing sides are up for the Player of the Season award: Sheffield Wednesday's Barry Bannan, MK Dons' Scott Twine and Rotherham United's Michael Smith.
In League Two, Forest Green Rovers have two players in contention in Kane Wilson and Matty Stevens, whilst Newport County’s Dominic Telford completes the list.
Taking place on Sunday 24 April, winners will be announced at the star-studded EFL Awards taking place at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane. Other awards to be handed out on the night include The Football Manager Teams of the Season, with the winners to be announced on the night with a manager and starting XI chosen for each individual division. Clubs will also be commended for their work off the pitch, with the Your Move Community Club of the Season set to be announced alongside the Community Project of the Season and PFA Player in the Community.
Last year saw Norwich midfielder Emi Buendia land the coveted Championship Player of the Season award.
Buendia played a key role in the Canaries' romp to the second tier title, scoring 14 goals and providing 16 assists. Just a few months later the Argentine would transfer to Aston Villa for a £35million fee. Peterborough United forward Jonson Clarke-Harris won the League One player of the season award with Paul Mullin, then of Cambridge United, named player of the year in League Two.
