5 most improved players from Europe's top leagues in 2017/18

#2 Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)

Joshua Kimmich has filled in the boots of Philipp Lahm really wel

Joshua Kimmich is widely regarded as one of the world's best defenders and after the past twelve months he's experienced, it's certainly a justified statement.

As a versatile fullback who has been touted to play in midfield in future, Kimmich's attacking tendencies have been clear for everyone to see on a regular basis - both in the Bundesliga and Champions League, where Bayern ultimately fell short at the semi-final stage against Real Madrid once more this term.

Their 4-3 aggregate defeat was heartbreaking but no blame could be attributed towards Kimmich, who netted two important goals (one in either leg) and crucially, made sure to embrace his defensive responsibilities too against Los Blancos - which is more than can be said for Marcelo on the opposing side for Real.

His passing accuracy has remained above 90% for the second consecutive season, while he's made more of a conscious effort to offer support defensively where possible and provide necessary pressure on opponents, forcing mistakes and snuffing out dangerous situations in their tracks.

Kimmich, here against Bale, has shown a consistent and persistent stance when defending tricky forwards

Having become more adventurous in attack, his average passing length has increased with time - as has the number of take-ons he has completed (21 compared to just five last year) and consequently, chances created. 72 successfully compared to 34 last term, these statistics only count the Bundesliga and Champions League fixtures.

With six goals and a whopping 17 assists across all competitions this term, it's becoming clear that Kimmich continues to blossom with regular first-team football under his belt at one of Europe's top sides. Not many would have predicted this.