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With the 2018-19 football season nearing the winter transfer window, clubs are ready to offload the dead wood in their sides and offer new contracts to the worthy ones. It has been a great football year till now, with some incredible moments. Ranging from Ronaldo's unexpected transfer to Juventus to Leo Messi yet again signing a new contract with Barcelona.
This season, till now, has had it all, and it wasn't much difficult for me to create this article, with some players performing at a god-level this season, considering their form, consistency, and confidence. The likes of Van Dijk and Aubameyang are few who are new to the list, and they are only going one way; forward.
I have also taken into consideration the UEFA Champions League performances as they are probably the most watched and the most entertaining. UCL games are a feast for the eyes and the players who perform well in European nights earn themselves a huge amount of fame and respect.
So, without further ado, let's get straight into the topic.
#10 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is setting the Premier League on fire with his enthralling performances week in and week out for the North Londoners. Arsenal paid a fee of £58 million, breaking their transfer record, and it has certainly paid off.
Considering his performances, and the price Arsenal paid for him, it seems to be a huge bargain I must say. After moving to London in January the last term, Aubameyang finished the half-season with 10 goals, 1 less than Hazard who played nearly 20 games more than him.
Aubameyang has been a fan favourite since his very first game, as he scored his first goal with a delightful chip over Everton's goalkeeper Pickford. Since then, he has gone on to score 20 goals for Arsenal in the Premier League, in just 26 appearances, with 7 assists to his name as well.
Currently, he is the joint-top scorer alongside Salah, and the race for the Golden Boot is on, and on fire!
#9 Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (Barcelona)
Ter Stegen is probably the best goalkeeper in the world right now, though many might argue that he is second to only David De Gea, which is fair to say. De Gea has been on a superior level that MATS, not to take anything away from the German.
Ever since Ter Stegen has taken the step as the first choice GK for Barcelona, he has displayed some extraordinary performances for the Blaugrana.
The 26-year-old has won countless trophies with Barcelona and has played an integral part for the Catalans. However, Barcelona has only 6 clean sheets to their name across all competitions, a huge point of concern. They have conceded 19 goals in La Liga this season, more than Sevilla (16), Real Betis (18), Atletico Madrid (12) and as much as Real Madrid and the 16th-placed Leganes.
However, with Pique getting back in form slowly with a big win over Levante just last week, this is the third consecutive clean sheet kept by Ter Stegen in the league, which are great signs for Barcelona.
#8 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
A slow start for Bayern Munich saw Lewandowski and co. receive incredible hatred and criticism. A significant part of Bayern's current squad have reached their 30s, and this probably affects their game significantly.
Despite starting slow, he has levelled with the top scorers in Bundesliga.
Surprisingly, he is the top scorer in the UEFA Champions League as well. Ronaldo's red card saw him sidelined for 3 games and Messi's injury caused him to miss 2 vital games as well. And Robert has utilised the situation at the fullest.
The Polish captain has scored 8 goals in just 6 appearances in the UCL, and with the draws out, he must be planning to tear apart the English side with his outrageous goal scoring skills.
#7 David De Gea (Manchester United)
The only Manchester United player the fans can actually count on for big games, David De Gea is a blessing to the English side. United sits 6th in the table, conceding nearly 29 goals in just 16 games. If it wasn't for De Gea, the numbers would've been even worse.
De Gea has saved United at uncountable occasions, the latest one being against Arsenal, where he pulled off an unbelievable one on one save against the in-form Aubameyang, pulling out his left leg in the very last second, which turned out to be an incredible block. That could've been the winner for Arsenal.
One of the all-time greats for Manchester United, De Gea recently signed a new contract with them, and that's a relief relief for the GGMU fans!
#6 Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
The highest assist-provider in this season's Premier League, with 9 assists to his name, Eden Hazard yet again makes it to the list of the best players in the world right now. Eden is one of the few players, who do anything and everything with a certain degree of flair. His dribbling skills are probably only second to Messi, and the Belgian is only improving with time.
Under Sarri, Eden Hazard looks even better than he did under Conte. The 29-year-old has been heavily linked to Real Madrid, but Sarri insists that he and his team would do everything to convince Eden to stay with Chelsea.
In 16 matches for Chelsea in the Premier League, Eden Hazard has scored 8 times with 9 assists as well. He has been involved in 7 of Chelsea's last 8 goals in the league, and despite starting the season slowly, he looks set to compete for the Golden Boot and also for the title.
#5 Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
The 19-year-old Frenchman has been in sensational form this season, scoring 12 goals and providing the team with 4 assists in just 11 games, and he is only improving with time. Neymar's experience and maturity have influenced Mbappe's game by a huge margin, and Neymar is clearly planning to offer his partner in crime the same treatment he received from Leo Messi.
Mbappe scored a staggering 4 goals in 15 minutes against Lyon, just before the international break.
The Frenchman has certainly shown his capability, and every football fan knows Mbappe is the future of football if he continues to be dedicated towards the game.
Mbappe's passing abilities, his blistering pace and a fantastic goalscoring knack render himself a real nightmare to opposition defenders. He had set the World Cup ablaze with his skills, and he is planning no less for the UEFA Champions League this season, scoring 4 times and assisting twice in just 6 games.
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Ronaldo moved to Italy with an intention to rule all over the Serie A, and unsurprisingly, he has found his feet at Juventus within no time. The 34-year-old has scored 11 times in the league, and he has been a key player for the Juventus. In addition to that, his partnership with Mario Mandzukic has been pretty impressive, considering the fact that they have never played together before.
Cristiano Ronaldo's tenure at Real Madrid was incredible, as the Portuguese scored 451 goals in his nine seasons at the Bernabeu. He was their star, and a sudden decision to leave the Los Blancos stunned fans across the world, and since then, Real Madrid have struggled tremendously.
Ronaldo makes it to this list for quite a few reasons; his consistency in either scoring or assisting, his fitness level considering his age, and for how well he has adapted to life at Italy. Cristiano Ronaldo, time and time again, has defeated his critics by showing his worth on the pitch, and he might certainly look to win the European Golden Boot, after losing out to Modric in the Ballon d'Or race.
#3 Neymar Jr (PSG)
Neymar defines consistency.
PSG's marquee signing Neymar Jr is running riots at Ligue 1, and he is continuing his incredible form in the European nights as well. The Brazilian is probably the best player in France at the moment, and his stats are incredible.
In 6 appearances in the Champions League this season, Neymar has bagged 5 goals and 3 assists as well. He plays a huge part in almost every goal PSG scores, and the 26-year-old is only getting better and better with time.
His vision, accuracy and the tailor-made dribbles are a feast for the eyes, and he is aiming to take down the UEFA Champions League trophy with PSG. Neymar has notched some brilliant goals this season for PSG, both from open play and set-pieces. His blistering pace and incredible runs down the left flank caused enough problems to the best of defences.
#2 Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool)
The former Southampton man has outclassed every defender this season, not only in the Premier League but all across the globe. Van Dijk is the best in business and has improved tremendously under Jurgen Klopp.
Liverpool is the only undefeated team in the Premier League this season - thanks to Van Dijk's extraordinary performances. They have conceded just 7 goals in league games, and are on the top of the table with the best goal difference, only second to Manchester City.
Liverpool's back four find it pretty easy to keep clean sheets. Van Dijk's incredible aerial ability, his pace and perfectly timed tackles are few of the reasons why Klopp has had such a good run this season.
Liverpool paid a whopping £75 million for Van Dijk's services, and to be honest, he seems to be worth every penny Liverpool have spent on him till date.
#1 Leo Messi (Barcelona)
Leo Messi, once again, tops my list of the 'Best Players in the World right now' and why wouldn't he? The man has been in sublime form this season, and like every other season, he leads the chart of the most goals scored and most assists provided.
In just 14 appearances, the little magician has managed to score 14 goals, and chip in with 10 assists as well. He has been involved in a goal scored by Barcelona every 52 minutes, and that is some really insane stats.
With 49 hattricks to his name, the '5th best player in the world' is arguably better than every other player across the globe. Leo Messi's dribbles and vision are incomparable, with his runs into the box being as effective as ever.
How can a player be so accurate and alert on the pitch, even when he is surrounded by at least two men every moment? Well, there he is, doing what he does best.
