'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQb/2gAIAQEAAAAAjBP/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAF/9oACAECEAAAAAf/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAE/9oACAEDEAAAAC//xAAfEAABBAICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAACAQMEEQAFBhIic9L/2gAIAQEAAT8A1nHNZE14Ny2glKMg3bJrqpITSgIKV3QkqFicMj15TnL9KfWf/8QAGREAAQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEDBBEy/9oACAECAQE/AFmvVo//xAAWEQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhP/2gAIAQMBAT8Aqx//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Gone are the days when Germany was only known for its superior cars and some of the best beers in the world, brewed in compliance with the famous Reinheitsgebot.
Right now the biggest and probably the best exports coming out of this nation are the top quality footballers who hone their skills in the Bundesliga before making it big across Europe's top leagues elsewhere.
Germany's top-flight has become a sort of feeder league for English clubs, with the top Premier League clubs poaching some of its best talents on a regular basis.
This summer 11 players from the Bundesliga joined Premier League clubs on permanent deals. Over the years, legends like Jens Lehmann, Michael Ballack, Dimitar Berbatov and Vincent Kompany are all players who have made the move from Deutschland to England.
In this list though, we'll be taking a look at some of the more recent acquisitions who have had a great impact in England's top tier. So, sit back and find out below which players make it into our top 5 recent Bundesliga to Premier League transfer deals:
#5 Granit Xhaka (Arsenal)
Granit Xhaka, the Swiss international, has earned himself quite a reputation in England with Arsenal for his vicious left-footed strikes, excellent passing range and poor disciplinary record.
Having begun his professional career with Basel, the 26-year-old moved to Germany in 2012 - signing with Borussia Mönchengladbach before quickly establishing himself as one of the league's best midfielders at a young age.
He scored nine goals and created eight assists in 140 appearances (all comps) - with over 100 Bundesliga appearances invaluable experience for the years ahead.
2015/16 would prove to be the best campaign of his career, as he proved an influential figure as Die Fohlen qualified for the UEFA Champions League. Following this, he was signed by Arsene Wenger for £30m in May 2016 - having improved considerably after a tough first season in England's top-flight.
Last season, he created seven assists and scored once for the Gunners. He has already won the FA Cup, Community Shield and was unfortunate in defeat by eventual winners Atletico Madrid during last term's UEFA Europa League semi-finals. He'll be looking to win even more, should his displays continue to progress under new manager Unai Emery alongside summer acquisition Lucas Torreira in midfield.
#4 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal)
The most recent signing of our list, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has hit the ground running this season with Arsenal. The former Borussia Dortmund forward has netted seven goals in 12 Premier League games for the Gunners this term and is currently one of the league's top goalscorers.
Aubameyang joined Dortmund in 2013, but rose to prominence after the surprise departure of prolific goalscorer Robert Lewandowski to rivals Bayern the following summer. He emerged as one of Europe's top strikers at the Westfalenstadion, netting 98 goals in 114 league games and pipping Lewandowski to the top scorer accolade in 2016/17.
He scored the winning goal during Dortmund's DFB-Pokal triumph and after an explosive start to the 2017/18 campaign, Arsenal broke their club-record transfer fee to sign him for £56m in January this year.
He scored the winning goal in Dortmund's DFB Pokal triumph in 2017. Following an explosive start to his 2017-18 season in the Bundesliga, Arsenal came calling this January and signed him for £56m.
The most expensive player in Arsenal's history recently won the Premier League Player of the Month Award for October, following his impressive goalscoring displays for the Gunners to date.
#3 Leroy Sane (Manchester City)
The only German international making it on this list, Leroy Sane is one of the world's best young prospects at the moment.
He originates from a sports-oriented family - where his father played as a striker back in his career and represented Senegal at various competitions.
The winger, 22, is absolutely deadly during counter-attacking moves and has the ability to torment opposition defences with his explosive pace, close-control dribbling and attacking intent in the final third.
Sane graduated from the Schalke youth academy and made his Bundesliga debut in 2014. He failed to win any silverware with the Royal Blues but during his final season there, he netted eight goals and created six assists - attracting attention from some of Europe's top sides and causing speculation regarding his long-term future.
Pep Guardiola made him one of his first signings in Eastlands, splashing £37m for the winger. His association with Manchester City has been a really beneficial one to date, having won the Premier League title during his second season there while also winning the award for PFA Young Player of the Season last term.
#2 Roberto Firmino (Liverpool)
With his compatriot Philippe Coutinho finally out of the picture, Roberto Firmino is earning the recognition of being arguably Brazil's best player in the Premier League at present.
The best false nine in the business, Firmino has been a force of nature ever since snubbing Manchester United for Anfield three years ago from Hoffenheim.
Firmino, a versatile attacker, spent four seasons in Germany's top-flight - working on his creativity, flair and the infectious workrate that he is notorious for adopting.
He had his best season with Hoffenheim in 2013-14, when he scored 16 goals and provided 11 more for his teammates, reportedly inspired by the goal of representing his nation during the 2014 World Cup.
Having broken into Brazil's national side in October 2014, he began appearing atop many clubs' wish-lists, which came as a surprise that Liverpool agreed terms for a £36m fee the following season.
At Anfield, his stats reveal everything that needs to be said. 38 goals and 27 assists in 114 games for the Reds, make him one of the club's top performers in recent years.
The Anfield faithfuls seem to have taken a real liking to him, with chants of ‘Bobby Firmino’ fairly common throughout the season.
#1 Kevin de Bruyne
If not for Jose Mourinho, Kevin de Bruyne might have taken the Premier League by storm since 2012.
However, it was the Belgian's ill-fated move to the Blues six years ago is what earned him a move to the Bundesliga - VfL Wolfsburg - where the foundations of his career were effectively being laid out for him.
Ten goals and nine assists while on-loan at Werder Bremen suggested that he was a star in the making. It was the 2014/15 campaign that proved to be his career-defining one, announcing his arrival on the world stage for everyone to marvel. He contributed a staggering 40 of the club's 72 goals scored, including an impressive league record 27 assists that term.
Manuel Pellegrini had made the right choice in breaking City's transfer record to sign de Bruyne for £55m in 2015 - as his return to England has been nothing short of remarkable. Over these two seasons, he has won silverware and individual accolades, from the league and cup double to a place in the league's Team of the Year and topping the assist charts.
