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Goals and clean sheets are the bread and butter of football. If a team does both at the top level, they tend to do very well for themselves.
Europe's top five leagues have some elite strikers. While some forwards have dominated the continent for several seasons, others rose to prominence only recently.
Mentioned below are the top five scorers across Europe's top five leagues (English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1). Some of these players are looking for moves this summer, and all of them are key to their team's success.
#5 Wissam Ben Yedder - AS Monaco - 25 goals
Wissam Ben Yedder is a 31-year-old French striker who plays for AS Monaco in Ligue 1. Last season, Ben Yedder made 37 appearances for AS Monaco in the league, scoring 25 goals and providing five assists. Monaco started the season poorly but rose through the table to finish third and secure Champions League football.
Ben Yedder has played for clubs like Toulouse and Sevilla, and has been a consistent player for each team. He has averaged a minimum of 70 league goals for each team. Ben Yedder is a fixture for Monaco and they will rely on him to continue to spearhead their attack for the upcoming season.
#4 Ciro Immobile - Lazio - 27 goals
Ciro Immobile has been an important striker in Europe for many years. The 32-year-old signed for Lazio in 2016, but he has played for Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla, among others. Last season, Immobile made 31 appearances for Lazio, scoring 27 goals and providing three assists. He thrived on the services provided by Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Luis Alberto.
Lazio finished fifth in the table, but Maurizio Sarri will hope that the team can break into the top four in the upcoming season. Immobile will be key, and he is also the team's captain. The Italian striker is certainly one of the most consistent goalscorers in Europe.
#3 Karim Benzema - Real Madrid - 27 goals
Karim Benzema had arguably his best season during the 2021-2022 campaign as Real Madrid won La Liga and the Champions League. Benzema is now a veteran player for Real Madrid, and he made 32 appearances in the league last season, scoring 27 goals and providing 12 assists. Truly a modern-day striker, not only scoring but creating for others.
Real Madrid were in the market for a Kylian Mbappé this summer, but have not gone for alternatives. Benzema is now the club captain following Marcelo's departure and remains a starter. The French striker seems to get better as the seasons go by, and he has been playing at an elite level for several years. One can expect another dominant season from the striker.
#2 Kylian Mbappé - Paris Saint Germain - 28 goals
Kylian Mbappé is only 22 years old, but he is already a World Cup winner and has been one of the best strikers in the world for the last five to six years. Last season Mbappé made 35 appearances for PSG in Ligue 1, scoring 28 and providing 19 assists. Similar to his compatriot Benzema, Mbappé is not just lethal in terms of finishing but a creator as well.
PSG have gone through a renaissance this summer as they pivot from their star-studded approach to football and become serious. They have appointed Luis Campos as their director of football and brought in Christophe Galtier as their new manager. Mbappé signed a new contract this summer after coming close to joining Real Madrid. A move might be on in the near future, but for now, he is staying in Paris.
#1 Robert Lewandowski - Bayern Munich - 35 goals
Robert Lewandowski has been Europe's most lethal striker for a few years. The 33-year-old has always been a great striker and thrived at Borussia Dortmund before signing for Bayern Munich in 2014. Last season he made 34 appearances in the Bundesliga, scoring 35 goals and providing four assists. He truly is a penalty box expert and Bayern Munich's main danger man.
Lewandowski surprised the football world by coming out and saying that he wanted to leave Bayern this summer. Barcelona are determined to sign the striker. However, Bayern are unwilling to budge on their demands and will only sell the striker on their terms.
