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The race for the European Golden Shoe continues to heat up as we get closer to the business end of the season. December’s ranking saw a lot of new faces occupy the top 10 spots but the ‘big boys’ seem to have upped their games in the last one month.
In December, there were many goals scored across Europe’s top five leagues, but the competitors for the Golden Shoe award remain very close. While Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi remain in the mix, it is increasingly looking like the superstar duo will face stiffer opposition this time around.
Players in the Premier League and Serie A have had a bit of an advantage since both leagues are still ongoing, while the others are currently on break. However, every player is sure to have the same chance, come the end of the season.
So, let’s take a look at how the race for the 2018/2019 European Golden Shoe award looks like as we begin January.
(NB: This ranking is based on goals scored by players in ONLY Europe’s top five leagues and, should players have the same number of goals, their assists will be used to decide who stays top of the other.)
#10 Luka Jovic (12 goals – 24 points)
January’s list top scorers in Europe’s top five leagues begins with Eintracht Frankfurt striker Luka Jovic who has managed 12 league goals this season. The 21-year-old may be considered an outsider by many, but he has so far shown that he is up for the challenge.
Currently, the Serbia international sits top of the German Bundesliga scoring charts and averages a goal per 84 minutes. It is a return that gives him a better conversion rate than Luis Suarez, who occupied the 10th position during the December rankings for the European Golden Shoe award.
Jovic’s 12 goals put him on 24 points on the ranking, and he also boasts three assists to his name. Not bad for a new entrant.
#9 Fabio Quagliarella (12 goals – 24 points)
Another unfamiliar face who makes this list is the veteran striker Fabio Quagliarella. The Sampdoria striker is in the form of his life and is one of the main reasons why the club is flying high in Serie A.
Quagliarella was previously absent from the list of top scoring players at the start of December, but he scored lots of goals in the league last month. The former Juventus forward also has 12 goals, representing 24 points and has five assists to his name as well.
Perhaps, many do not consider Quagliarella as a favourite to scoop the European Golden Shoe award, but should he maintain his form, then he could just be up there with the eventual challengers.
Also see : La Liga Transfer News, EPL Transfer News
#8 Nicolas Pepe (12 goals – 24 points)
Nicolas Pepe is another player who has made a huge jump into the race for the European Golden Shoe award. The French-born Ivorian international has been a revelation in the Ligue 1 this season, having starred for Lille.
Pepe has so far managed 12 league goals with a further five assists to his name. The 25-year-old is also second on the Ligue 1 scoring charts –ahead of the likes of Edinson Cavani and Neymar, and only second to Kylian Mbappe.
It is fair to say that the Lille striker has earned his place as one of Europe’s most lethal attackers currently.
#7 Krzysztof Piatek (13 goals – 26 points)
Krzysztof Piatek has been a constant feature on the list of contenders for this season’s European Golden Shoe. The young Polish striker was the fifth top scorer in Europe in December but has dropped two places for this month.
Having netted 10 goals before the start of December, the 23-year-old managed to add just three, putting him on 13 league goals currently. It is a return that puts him second only to Cristiano Ronaldo when it comes to top scorers in the Serie A.
He may not be the most talked about footballer, but Piatek’s potency up front is what has made him a transfer target for some of Europe’s elite clubs.
#6 Harry Kane (13 goals – 26 points)
Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane enjoyed a very favorable December and is currently the sixth highest scorer among Europe’s top five leagues. The England international has scored 13 goals this season, putting him on 26 points in the ranking for the European Golden Shoe.
Kane has proven over the years to be one of the best in Europe and although he has struggled a bit this season, he is still often among the goals.
The 25-year-old also has three assists to his name, making him one of the all-round strikers you could come across.
#5 Kylian Mbappe (13 goals – 26 points)
Joining Harry Kane on 13 league goals is Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe. The young Frenchman has been in sensational form since the season began, also having a wonderful World Cup.
Mbappe was Europe’s top scorer as of last month with a staggering 11 goals, however, he has dropped to fifth after managing just two goals all through the month of December.
Currently, the former Monaco star is the top scorer in Ligue 1 with 13 goals, but he could have had more if not for the postponement of some league games in the French topflight over protests and unrest in the country.
#4 Mohamed Salah (13 goals – 26 goals)
Another player on 13 goals is Mohamed Salah. The Liverpool star started the season on a rather slow note, but he has picked up in the last two months.
Salah has now moved to second on the Premier League scoring charts after scoring three goals in the Reds’ last two league games. The Egyptian now has 13 Premier League goals and a staggering seven assists after 19 games.
Last season, Salah was close to winning the European Golden Shoe award, but eventually lost out to Lionel Messi. However, this season could finally be his time to scoop the award.
#3 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (14 goals – 28 points)
One of the new entrants in the list of contenders of the European Golden Shoe is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Arsenal striker has been one of the shining lights for the Gunners in what has so far been a mixed season.
The 29-year-old is currently the top scorer in the Premier League with 14 goals and also boasts three assists to his name.
Aubameyang has never won the European Golden Shoe, but his current form makes him one of the top contenders for the award this season.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo (14 goals – 28 points)
Cristiano Ronaldo starts the New Year as the second top scorer in Europe’s top five leagues. This can perhaps be described as the ranking returning to its factory settings.
The Portuguese had just nine league goals at the start of December but has since scored five more to take his overall tally to 14 Serie A goals.
Having moved from Real Madrid to Juventus last summer, the 33-year-old has so far proven that he has not lost any of his goal-scoring instincts at all. Interestingly, Ronaldo also has assisted in the Italian top flight and looks ready to challenge for the European Golden Shoe award.
#1 Lionel Messi (15 goals – 30 points)
Lionel Messi is gunning for a sixth European Golden Shoe, having scooped the award for a record fifth time last season. The Barcelona star scored 34 goals last season to emerge top scorer in Europe’s top five leagues and he has started the current season on a similar note.
The Argentine has so far managed 15 LaLiga goals going into the winter break, with a further 10 assists to his name. This is despite him missing two weeks due to injury.
It is evident that Messi is bent on winning the 2018/19 European Golden Shoe, and once he is there with Ronaldo, a keen contest can be expected.
