Dubai: Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 50th career hat-trick with a four-goal haul against Girona last Sunday to put him on 22 goals for the season just three goals behind Barcelona’s Lionel Messi in the race for the Pichichi — Spain’s top scorer’s award. But it was the heroics of Liverpool’s Mohammad Salah in his quadruple strike against Watford last Saturday that stole the limelight, which gets us thinking. Messi and Ronaldo have shared the Ballon d’Or for the past decade with five titles apiece, but they are not getting any younger and their dominance will soon wane. Here, spurred by Salah’s watershed moment against Watford, we run the rule over others who along with the Egyptian could take over the mantle of the top two in years to come. We know what you’re thinking, there’s no Neymar, Philippe Coutinho or Paul Pogba (to name but a few), but we’re looking at younger, less obvious players who haven’t yet reached their ceiling, rather than those who are peaking in the same generation as Messi and Ronaldo — those who are just one more big move away from it all clicking into place (with the exception of Marco Asensio who is already waiting in the wings at Real). The players Real and Barca can confidently spend big on to fill Messi and Ronaldo shaped holes in the coming years without worrying that they are already past their best.

Mohammad Salah

The 25-year-old Egyptian’s four-goal haul for Liverpool in a 5-0 win at home to Watford last Saturday saw him not only overtake Harry Kane in the race for the Premier League’s Golden Boot, but also Lionel Messi in the running for the European Golden Shoe. Now with 28 goals and nine assists in 30 appearances in the EPL — six goals off the record with seven games remaining, and a total 36 goals in 40 matches across all competitions, he is the hottest prospect in football. His rise has almost come from nowhere following up an underwhelming spell at Chelsea with a resurgence at Roma.

Kylian Mbappe

The 19-year-old Frenchman scored 26 goals in 44 appearances across all competitions in his breakthrough year with Monaco last season when they won the French league and reached the Uefa Champions League semi-finals. He has now scored 19 goals in 35 appearances across all competitions, in his first season on loan with Paris Saint Germain. Thirteen of those goals have been scored in 21 league appearances with eight assists, making him a vital component in PSG’s league title chase, fitting in alongside and holding his own among the likes of Neymar and Edinson Cavani despite his young age.

Marco Asensio

Outshone the likes of James Rodriguez at Real Madrid last season with an overall 10 goals in 38 appearances and made an immediate impact this season too scoring four goals in the first five games at a time when others, namely Ronaldo, were misfiring. The 22-year-old Spanish attacking midfielder does it in big games as well; two of the above were in the same week back-to-back against Barcelona and the other two were against Valencia, while he also scored in the Champions League final win over Juventus last season, showing that he can perform under pressure. This season so far he has 10 goals in 40 games overall.

Kevin de Bruyne

Well on his way to topping the Premier League’s most assists table for a second season running, this 26-year-old Belgian creative midfielder was just two assists away from the league’s most assists record with 18 from 36 appearances for Manchester City in 2016/17 and is now on 14 assists from 27 appearances with eight games remaining. He can score as well, not as much, but that isn’t always the point, he has seven goals from 27 games in the league so far this season and 11 goals from 40 appearances overall. He is the best example of those who have improved tenfold under Pep Guardiola since he was dropped by Chelsea.

Leroy Sane

Second in the Premier League’s most assists charts this season with 11, three behind his Manchester City teammate Kevin de Bruyne. German attacking midfielder Leroy Sane, 22, has shown steady growth from his first season under Pep Guardiola last term since joining from Schalke, and scored five goals in 26 appearances with three assists in the EPL and nine goals in 37 appearances across all competitions. This year he is on eight goals from 25 appearances in the league and 12 goals in 40 appearances overall, making him a huge contender for PFA Young Player of the Year.

Paulo Dybala

On the verge of his most prolific season in front of goal for Juventus on 17 goals from 24 Serie A appearances, just two goals (with nine games remaining) short of his previous best year when he had first joined the Old Lady from Palermo in 2015/16 and finished second in the top scorer’s charts. The 24-year-old Argentine forward, who has 21 goals in 35 appearances overall this season, is on track for a third successive Serie A title and has already helped his side to two Champions League finals. Has experience and time to succeed Lionel Messi at club and national level.

Sadio Mane

Burst onto the scene at Liverpool last season after joining from Southampton with 13 goals and five assists in 27 Premier League appearances, or 13 goals in 29 appearances overall. This 25-year-old Senegalese winger has followed it up with eight goals and seven assists in 21 EPL appearances so far this season (with seven games remaining) and 14 goals in 30 appearances overall. Having moved into the centre to cover Philippe Coutinho’s void while allowing incoming Mohammad Salah to go wide, he has shown he can first adapt to a big club move and then be versatile while not letting the numbers slip.