5 players who could win a Ballon d'Or if it wasn't for goal scoring

#1 KEVIN DE BRUYNE:

With 14 assists and 7 goals so far in the EPL, De Bruyne seems to be on a dream run.

Kevin De Bruyne is the player who stands among all the others in the list. Reason? He scores goals too! While we say that De Bruyne scores goals, let's not forget that his comparison made here is with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi whose goal numbers are inhuman.

The 26-year-old Belgian was a passive figure in the footballing world. During his stint at Chelsea, it can be said that he didn't enjoy much of the limelight or playing time, which resulted in him being loaned out to Werder Bremen. His return to the Stamford Bridge after the loan spell wasn't fruitful either.

Eventually, De Bruyne was sold to the German side Wolfsburg, where he came out with flying colors. It was his stellar performance in the 2014-15 Bundesliga season that caught Manchester City's attention. He finished the season with 16 goals and 27 assists in all competitions for Wolfsburg before packing his bags and leaving for the Etihad Stadium. Since then, the midfielder's graph has just been rising.

He was a part of 2016 Ballon d'Or list of Top-23 players and as per the recent Ballon d'Or rankings, he is placed 14th and is the only Manchester City player to feature in the Top-30.

Citizens boss Pep Guardiola had high praise for his midfield master claiming that he sees everyone and everything on the pitch. The number 17 is truly a master of assists. He was the player with most assists in the previous season with 18. In this season again, he is the one leading the race with 14 assists to his name already.

If City go on to win silverware this season, it is most likely that Kevin De Bruyne will make it into the Top-3 for the Ballon d'Or. Who knows, he might even win it.