5 most underrated strikers in world football right now

Strikers of the modern generation have to meddle with a double-edged sword, that is the reception of their skills by the footballing world. A prolific 20-plus goal season could earn you a big-money move to an elite club, while failing to hit the ground running could restrict you to the bench. In such a chaotic environment, while a lot of strikers take their game to the next level, the other lot end up cracking under immense pressure.

Strikers who have started the 2021-22 season on fire

Wasting no time in adjusting to the physical nature of the Premier League, Cristiano Ronaldo has made an immediate impact at Old Trafford, scoring three goals in two games. West Ham striker Michail Antonio has continued his red-hot form from last term, with four strikes already in the league.

Elsewhere, Karim Benzema is dominating all the headlines in Spain, with eight goals in just six league appearances. Former European Golden Boot winner Ciro Immobile has also gained serious momentum in a bid to reclaim his prize with six goals in Serie A. Nevertheless, the fiery duo of Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland are currently leading the race with 11 goals in all competitions.

While the aforementioned strikers have received widespread acclaim due to their insane statistics, the heroics of several forwards go unnoticed each season. Considering such under-the-radar players, let's take a look at five of the most underrated strikers in world football right now:

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#5 Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen)

Schick scored an absolute worldie at the Euros

With a humble valuation of €28m, Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick comes in fifth place. For a former wonderkind who apparently failed to reach his true potential, Schick has had an impressive 2021. With Leverkusen enduring a tough 2020-21 season, Schick's 13 goals in all competitions allowed the Bundesliga club to secure a decent finish.

However, the Czech international displayed his true colors after the season's conclusion. He spearheaded a rejuvenated Czech Republic side at Euro 2020, banging in five crucial goals. In addition to vying for the competition's golden boot, his magisterial strike from near the half-way line against Scotland was deemed the goal of the tournament.

Even at club level, the journeyman has faired decently, taking his constant transfers into consideration. Schick has suffered gravely from the unrealistic hype that has surrounded him throughout his career. Still just 25, the lanky striker is on track to revamp his reputation, having already netted four goals this term.

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#4 Wout Weghorst (Wolfsburg)

Weghorst has burst onto the scene with Wolfsburg

The fact that Wout Weghorst is still an unknown entity outside Germany thoroughly solidifies his status as an underrated striker. With five goal contributions already this season, Weghorst has proven to be one of the most productive strikers in Europe.

Having played in the Eredivisie for the majority of his senior career, Wolfsburg decided to take a punt on him in 2018. Purchased for just €10.5 million, the Dutch striker has more than justified the transfer fee, with an impressive 67 goals in 127 appearances.

Ever since joining Die Wölfe, Weghorst has seen a constant rise in his goalscoring output. The 29-year-old striker capped off a sensational 2020-21 season with 25 goals across all competitions, leading his side to a historic fourth-placed finish. With top clubs like Inter and Tottenham interested in acquiring the talented striker, Weghorst absolutely deserves more recognition.

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#3 Wissam Ben Yedder (AS Monaco)

Ben Yedder has provided consistently for Sevilla and Monaco

A quintessentially underrated striker, Wissam Ben Yedder has been slaving away in the top European leagues with minimal recognition. One of the most consistent forwards on the planet, Ben Yedder has scored at least 15 goals in each of the last nine seasons.

This level of reliability is only seen in an elite group of players. Yet the 15-time capped France international has always had to fight tremendously to obtain the acknowledgement his competency deserves. Currently, in his second season with Monaco, Ben Yedder has three goals so far in this campaign.

The prospect of Ben Yedder getting service from A-list creators like Kevin De Bruyne and Bruno Fernandes is truly unfathomable. Unfortunately, the 30-year-old striker has only played for mid-tier giants like Monaco and Sevilla in his career. The current level of attention to such a distinguished and proven footballer is definitely a disservice to his achievements.

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#2 Tammy Abraham (AS Roma)

The English striker is severely underrated

One of the brightest stars to have graduated from Chelsea's fabled academy, Tammy Abraham had all the skills to succeed at Stamford Bridge. Likened to all-time great Didier Drogba, Abraham was ousted from London earlier this season.

The dependable striker was an ever-present under Frank Lampard, continuing with his goalscoring routine even when Chelsea were trapped in a ditch. Despite his irregular playing time, Abraham still managed to wrap up the 2020-21 season with a respectable tally of 12 goals.

The English prodigy has reclaimed the buzz that his heroics demand, with a scintillating start to life at Roma. Under the experienced Jose Mourinho, Abraham has the opportunity to take his game to the next level. Poetically, the man who trained Drogba now has the chance to coach Abraham and turn him into one of the most complete strikers of our generation.

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#1 Alexander Isak (Real Sociedad)

Isak has been linked with many top clubs

In the top spot is another wonderkind, deemed an astronomical failure before he could hit the tender age of 20. Swedish sensation Alexander Isak was touted as a world-beater during his initial days with AIK at Allsvenskan. Following a prudent move to development factory Borussia Dortmund, his promising future as a star striker was all but confirmed.

However, Isak failed to settle into life in Germany and was relegated to the youth teams. Dortmund decided to give up on the youngster and sold him to Real Sociedad in 2019 for a nominal fee of €15 million. Ever since joining Los Txuri-Urdin, the career of the Swedish striker has taken a steep U-turn.

Isak quickly established his place in Sociedad's senior squad, scoring 33 goals in his first two seasons at Anoeta. The 22-year-old prodigy announced himself to the world for the second time with a blazing performance against Spain at Euro 2020. Having been written off at such a young age, Isak is now working extensively hard to move out of the underrated bracket.

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