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Scout Report: Six Bundesliga stars who would make an impact in the Premier League

By Tom Carnduff

Football

Wed May 06, 2020 · 5y ago

The Premier League has seen a number of stars join its ranks from the Bundesliga in previous years.

Kevin De Bruyne, Lukas Podolski, Edin Dzeko and Vincent Kompany, to name a few, have proven to be success stories after switching the German top-flight for those clubs in England.

It's becoming an increasingly travelled road between the two leagues, with English youngsters now seeing first team opportunities and developing their careers with Germany's elite.

The strength of the Bundesliga is reflected in their recent showings in Europe. RB Leipzig comfortably dispatched of Tottenham in the Champions League while Bayern Munich held a commanding lead over Chelsea before UEFA's top club competition was suspended. There was, of course, Bayern's 7-2 hammering of Spurs in the group stages too.

Alassane Plea

Alassane Plea has been among the goals this season

Current club: Borussia Monchengladbach
Position: Striker
Age: 27

Borussia Monchengladbach are enjoying a Bundesliga season that currently puts them fourth in the standings and that is partly down to the efforts of Alassane Plea.

The 27-year-old has eight goals and eight assists on his tally which largely came from his centre forward role, although he can play on the wing when required.

Plea has proven to be a headache for opposition defences throughout the season and his intent to find the net is demonstrated in his number of shots, alongside the goals he has already registered.

Goal of the season or total fluke?

There have been at least two shots for the Monchengladbach forward in each of his last nine Bundesliga outings. That target was also hit in each of his four Europa League starts.

His double figure hauls in each of his last three full seasons, two in Ligue 1 with Nice and one in the German top flight with Monchengladbach, will obviously catch the attention of any Premier League side.

In fact, he did have interest from England before making the switch to Germany from his former club in 2018.

"Of course it's flattering to hear that clubs from the Premier League were interested," he revealed after signing.

"But I desperately wanted to come to Germany because you get everything you need here to move onto the next level and improve."

Marcus Thuram

Marcus Thuram enjoys celebrating with the corner flag

Current club: Borussia Monchengladbach
Position: Striker/winger
Age: 22

Another talented Monchengladbach forward is Marcus Thuram. The 22-year-old is also a player who can switch between the striker and wide position.

A surname that is familiar to many, Marcus is the son of World Cup winner and former Parma, Monaco and Juventus defender Lilian Thuram.

He made the switch to the Bundesliga last summer from French side Guingamp, who were relegated to Ligue 2 following a campaign that saw them finish bottom of the standings.

Thuram's showings in Germany highlight why Monchengladbach were eager to bring him to the club. He's scored ten goals and assisted a further nine in 33 appearances across all competitions.

Marcus Thuram - The Difference Maker

He's a forward who likes to have the ball at his feet. The ability to dribble stands out - no other forward in the Bundesliga has seen more successful dribbles than Thuram this season.

Another significant strength is his aerial presence and the ability to win headers against opposition defenders.

Thuram isn't quite at the level of Union Berlin striker Sebastian Andersson when it comes to successful headers, who leads the way with an eye-watering 194 aerial duels won (over twice the amount as the next best player), but he does sit above the likes of Robert Lewandowski in this statistic.

The Monchengladbach foward is sixth for successful aerial duels among forwards, winning 53.7% of his contests in this area.

Thuram will have a hefty price tag due to his recent move and performances, but there's no doubt that Premier League clubs will be aware of his talent.

Filip Kostic

Filip Kostic celebrates

Current club: Eintracht Frankfurt
Position: Left midfielder
Age: 27

Another player who has caught the eye with his ability to dribble is Eintracht Frankfurt's Filip Kostic.

The 27-year-old has been a regular in left midfield for a club who featured in the Europa League this season. He's contributed 12 goals and 15 assists in 40 games across all competitions.

The stats speak for themselves and Frankfurt have a player who possesses everything required for an effective wide midfielder.

Only Bayern's Thiago Alcantara can match his number of successful dribbles among any midfield player and he is well clear of the likes of Jadon Sancho, Kai Havertz and Serge Gnabry in this area.

Goal and assist for Filip Kostic against Bayern Munich

Kostic also sits inside the top-seven for number of assists from midfield. Only players from Bayern, Dortmund and Leipzig sit above him; impressive figures for a player currently with a team in the bottom-half.

His 2.7 shots per game further highlight his intent on attack, while that statistic jumps up to 2.9 for his nine Europa League matches.

His defensive contribution shouldn't be overlooked. Kostic patrols the entire left-side of the pitch and will get back when required. A player who likes to tackle, he is 15th overall for number of successful tackles among Bundesliga midfielders during the 2019/20 campaign.

He's currently enjoying his second season at Frankfurt, but his performances on the pitch will put him on many transfer wish lists.

Dayot Upamecano

Dayot Upamecano has been attracting plenty of interest

Current club: RB Leipzig
Position: Centre-back
Age: 21

Upamecano has fallen into the Premier League trap of being linked with the majority of the clubs at the top-end of the table.

There's a battle between the Manchester clubs, while Arsenal have also been monitoring his progress, that's if you believe the online rumours and reports.

His performances this season have highlighted why he is seen as a player who can make the switch to the Premier League though. A commanding central defender with the ability to carry the ball out from the back will put him top of many shopping lists.

When the opposition has possession, Upamecano becomes that traditional defender who times a tackle to perfection. There's also the high levels of concentration and vision that go with it; the ability to read the play and make a stop before any damage is done.

Dayot Upamecano in action against Tottenham

In possession, it's clear to see that he is a player who could potentially move into the defensive midfield role in the future, such is his confidence on the ball.

Passing will place high in the strengths column, whether that be short into midfield or diagonal long balls to the wide men.

It's why he sits fourth for accurate long balls among defenders in the Bundesliga, while his overall accurate pass number puts him seventh. He also finds himself in the top-five for successful tackles among central defenders.

Teams will be wanting to utilise his threat in attack, alongside the defensive solidity that he brings. Upamecano has the potential to become one of the best defenders in the world.

Christopher Nkunku

Christopher Nkunku celebrates a goal for RB Leipzig

Current club: RB Leipzig
Position: Attacking midfielder
Age: 22

Another name from the current crop of talented RB Leizpig players is Christopher Nkunku - who has been a star in the attacking midfield role.

The former PSG man made the switch from the Ligue 1 champions in July 2019 for a fee around the £10m mark. Based on the current season, that has proven to be a bargain.

He's scored four goals and assisted a remarkable 14 in 23 Bundesliga appearances; only Thomas Muller and Jadon Sancho can boast more.

At the time of his signing, Leipzig's sporting director Markus Kroesche said: "He is a dynamic and versatile player in the offensive area and thus also increases the variability in our game."

Christopher Nkunku - RB Leipzig’s New Assist King

That prediction has come true. Nkunku falls into the creator category, as opposed to someone you look upon to directly score goals, and his list of strengths significantly outweighs the weaknesses.

At the top of that list would be key passes. That ties in with the number of assists over the course of the season, but his 67 key passes is more than any other Bundesliga player.

The Leipzig youngster loses possession on less occasions than those in a similar position. Nkunku has lost possession on 230 occasions, whereas Bayern's Muller sits on 305 and Kai Havertz at Leverkusen, often a name linked with the Premier League, is on 351.

He's another who would command a huge price tag based on the time of his last transfer and his age. However, Nkunku has demonstrated that he is a player who could go to the very top.

Suat Serdar

Suat Serdar has captured the headlines at Schalke

Current club: Schalke
Position: Centre midfielder
Age: 23

It's fair to say that Suat Serdar will be one of those players who will benefit from Euro 2020 being pushed back a year.

The central midfielder has already had involvement in the German national set-up - with three appearances since making his debut against Argentina in October 2019.

Working under David Wagner, a familiar name in English football due to his efforts with Huddersfield, Serdar has gone from strength-to-strength and has seven goals in 18 Bundesliga appearances on his tally this season.

The 23-year-old has everything that you could want from a central midfielder. He's a player who likes the ball at his feet but isn't afraid to tackle to try and win possession back.

Fußball Challenge | Suat Serdar | Ecken reindrehen | FC Schalke 04

He sits inside the top-ten for successful tackles among midfielders this season and leads the way among his Schalke colleagues in the same position. Only Bastian Oczipka, a left-back, has seen more tackles among the first team squad.

Serdar is a player who benefits from Wagner's way of playing. An intent on attack and scoring goals; getting up the pitch as quickly as possible to catch the opposition out.

That's why Serdar and his midfield team mate Amine Harit are both in the top-eleven for successful dribbles in the league this season.

His move from Mainz to Schalke in the summer of 2018 sparked an impromptu party in Bingen am Rhein, his home town, and he's a player that should cause more celebrations in the street as he continues to climb the football ladder.