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The Bundesliga is one of the top football leagues in the world. It may arguably not be as competitive as the Premier League but it has been graced by world-class players, especially goalscorers, over the years.
The competition has traditionally been dominated by the likes of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and a few other teams. So most of the top goalscorers in the league usually come from their ranks.
However, players from other teams have also burst onto the scene at a young age and made their mark in the Bundesliga. A few of these players are still active in the competition. On that note, here's a look at the top five Bundesliga goalscorers at the age of 23:
#5 Jadon Sancho - 38 goals
Jadon Sancho made his name in the Bundesliga as a world-class player during a hugely successful four-season stint with Borussia Dortmund.
The 21-year-old amassed a staggering 38 goals and 52 assists in over 100 games in the competition, racking up a goal contribution in almost every game. In two consecutive seasons (2018-19 and 2019-20), he registered double-digit goal and assist tallies. In 2018-19, he racked up 17 goals and 18 assists.
His blistering exploits put him on the radar of bigger clubs. Premier League giants Manchester United dished out €85 million to land the player, after a year-long pursuit.
#4 Mario Gotze (five-time Bundesliga winner) - 41 goals
Mario Gotze etched his name in German football folklore by scoring their winner in the 2014 FIFA FIFA World Cup final against Argentina. However, the diminutive German has also had a hugely successful Bundesliga career.
The five-time Bundesliga winner (with two different clubs) racked up over 230 appearances in the German top flight, registering 57 goals and 64 assists. Between 2011 and 2016, Gotze won five Bundesliga titles, the first two coming with Borussia Dortmund. He provided 73 goal contributions (34 goals, 39 assists) during this period, making his first mark under Jurgen Klopp at BvB.
With over 40 of his Bundesliga goals coming before he turned 23, Gotze appeared to have the world at his feet, especially after the 2014 World Cup. However, the PSV Eindhoven attacking midfielder has largely failed to build on his promise.
At 29, age is still on his side, but it looks unlikely that either BvB or Bayern Munich will snap him up again.
#3 Heung-Min Son - 41 goals
Heung-Min Son spent six hugely successful seasons in the Bundesliga, three each with Hamburg and Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
In over 100 games in the competition for both clubs, Son scored over 20 goals for both clubs - 20 for Hamburg and 21 for Leverkusen. The South Korean did so before he turned 23.
It was inevitable he would move on to a bigger team. That proved to be the case when Tottenham Hotspur came calling in the summer of 2015. He has racked up 76 goals and 50 assists in over 200 Premier League games for Spurs thus far.
#2 Erling Haaland - 51 goals
Erling Haaland is arguably one of the hottest young strikers in the game at the moment. Still only 21, the Norwegian is a goalscoring machine.
After arriving at Borussia Dortmund in January 2020, Haaland has amassed 76 goals across competitions in just 78 games. That includes 53 strikes in the Bundesliga, making Haaland both the youngest and the quickest player to score 50 goals in the competition.
There is already a beeline for his services, with the likes of Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City leading the race for Haaland's signature. It remains to be seen if BvB will let go of their prized asset when his release clause of €75 million gets activated next summer.
#1 Timo Werner - 59 goals
Timo Werner scored almost a hundred Bundesliga goals during seven successful seasons in the competition.
After a slow start to life in the German top flight - 13 goals in three seasons with VfB Stuttgart - Werner caught fire after moving to RB Leipzig. He scored 21 league goals in 2016-17 to announce his arrival, and there would be no looking back.
By the age of 23, Werner amassed 59 Bundesliga strikes. In his final season in the competition (2019-20), he struck 28 league goals before moving to Chelsea. However, the 25-year-old has struggled to replicate those exploits in the Premier League.
Nevertheless, he remains a key player in compatriot Thomas Tuchel's plans, thanks to his ability to set up teammates. That said, Werner needs to rediscover his goalscoring boots soon to avoid dropping down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge.
