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Over the years, the German Bundesliga has been the stepping stone for many footballers. A platform, which they use to gain recognition and eventually make a bigger step in their careers.
The league's ability to nurture young talents and turn them into footballing superstars has been beneficial to a number of individuals in the past decade or so.
The Premier League, in particular, has been the most common destination for Bundesliga stars in the past ten years with a bulk of talented youngsters moving to the English shores to showcase their talents in one of the best leagues in the world.
In this article, we will talk about the top five Bundesliga imports to the Premier League.
#5 - Jens Lehmann
Arsenal's goalkeeping legend Jens Lehmann has been one of the best Bundesliga imports for the Premier League giants, especially for a goalkeeper.
The former Borussia Dortmund player was formerly, a first-choice goalkeeper for their arch-rivals and Lehmann's youth club, FC Schalke before moving to AC Milan, where he, despite winning the Serie A, completely failed to cement himself into the starting lineup.
He was shipped off to Borussia Dortmund for a relatively high fee(€4.5m) for a goalkeeper. At Dortmund, Lehmann made his career breakthrough, featuring in 179 competitive matches and winning the German Bundesliga.
However, it was not until his move to Arsenal in summer 2003, where the former German International became known as a world-class shot-stopper.
Jens Lehmann was the first choice goalkeeper for an Arsenal team which managed to pull off a season without a defeat during their 2003-04 campaign. A season which is still remembered as one of the greatest in the history of European football.
In short, Lehmann was a part of something which resembled Arsenal's success as a European giant during their glory years and will always be hailed as a special figure not just at the Emirates but also at Westfalenstadion.
The 48-year-old is currently working as a goalkeeping coach for Arsenal this season.
#4 - Dimitar Berbatov
Dimitar Berbatov simply needs no introduction!
Although primarily known for his remarkable stint with Manchester United, the Bulgarian was a prolific striker in the Bundesliga, during his time with Bayer Leverkusen.
In fact, he featured in 202 matches all competitions for the German giants, more than any other club he has played at during his career. He also acquired an impressive record of scoring 90 goals in those 202 outings for Die Werkself.
After impressing at Leverkusen, the striker made the next step in his career when he moved to Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of €15.7m. He replicated his Bundesliga form at Spurs as well, scoring 46 goals and providing 24 goals in just 102 matches in all competitions, for which he was rewarded with a move to European giants Manchester United for €38m.
He won three Premier League titles with the Red Devils, scoring 56 goals in 149 games. His partnership with Wayne Rooney, in particular, helped the club win a lot of silverware. Berbatov was the club's top scorer in the 2010/11, where he helped Manchester United lift their 12th Premier League title in the club's history.
Nearing the final phase of his career, Dimitar Berbatov is currently trying out his luck in the Indian Super League with Kerela Blasters FC.
#3 - Michael Ballack
Our list is virtually incomplete without the inclusion of Michael Ballack, one of the most famous midfielders in Germany's rich footballing history!
Prior to his move to England in 2006, Ballack was a Bundesliga superstar with sensational stints at Bayer Leverkusen as well as German champions Bayern Munich.
However, despite his illustrious career, Ballack will always be known for his famous curse, which left his career unfulfilled.
During his time in Germany, the midfielder was a runner-up with Leverkusen to Dortmund in the Bundesliga, Schalke in the DFB Pokal and most importantly, Real Madrid to Champions League. Trophies continued to elude the traditional midfielder and his lust for silverware forced him to look somewhere else.
His move to Chelsea in 2006, can be deemed as a success not just for him but for the club as well. He immediately stepped up as a real leader for the Blues and helped them secure three FA Cup titles as well as clinching the Premier League title in 2010.
In 2012, the news of his retirement came as a shock for the passionate football fans and experts alike. He will always be revered as one of the greats in modern football and his illustrious career won't be forgotten anytime soon by the footballing world.
#2 - Vincent Kompany
Vincent Kompany is one of two Manchester City players on our list(spoiler alert!).
The veteran defender has been the pillar of the Manchester City defence for quite some now, even though his influence in the team has taken a major hit in the past couple of seasons as his progress was marred by a series of unfortunate injuries.
Regardless, however, the Belgian international can be deemed as a Premier League icon, not just for his astonishing performances for Manchester City over the years but also for his leadership qualities from the back, which has helped the club win two Premier League titles.
Since joining the Manchester giants from Hamburg in 2008, the 31-year-old has made well over 300 appearances for Manchester City. Had it not been for his exploits, the Sky Blues could have never managed to be as successful as they currently are.
Overall, Vincent Kompany was just the player Manchester City needed to guide them into prominence following the change of ownership in 2008 and the Belgian international will always be remembered as a club legend.
#1 - Kevin de Bruyne
Kevin de Bruyne has been by far the most successful Bundesliga import in the Premier League.
The Belgian International was hugely benefitted by Bundesliga's ability to nurture young talents. After failing to impress at Chelsea, where he was often overlooked by Jose Mourinho, De Bruyne was first loaned out and later sold to VfL Wolfsburg.
It was at Wolfsburg, where he finally managed to showcase his talents and evolve as an exciting creative outlet. In the 2014/15 season, the Belgian produced a record-breaking 21 assists and was later rewarded with a move to Manchester City the following summer for an astonishing fee of €74m.
Fast forward to three years and it seems as if the Belgian international was worth every penny of the €74m spent by Manchester City.
Kevin de Bruyne has emerged as a key component in the attacking department under the leadership of former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola. In fact, the 26-year-old is currently regarded as one of the best playmakers in world football.
His tally of six goals and nine assists so far this season has been imperative in Manchester City's sensational form and should he continues his development nose-dive intact, the Belgian may eclipse all of the other players in this list within the coming years.
