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The Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 are arguably the five most popular leagues on the planet.
Every player dreams of plying their trade in the top five European leagues. Making it big in one of the aforementioned leagues not only makes one a household name, but also improves the odds of winning the prestigious Ballon d’Or.
The 2022-23 season, which is already underway in Europe, is set to bring the best out of the most talented individuals across the top five leagues.
Below, we will speculate who those individuals might be. Now, without further ado, let’s take a quick look at the five favorites who could emerge as the best in their respective leagues.
#5 Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan) - Serie A
The only loanee on our list today, Romelu Lukaku has all it takes to emerge as the best player in Serie A this season.
Impressed with his blistering performances for Inter Milan in the 2020-21 season, Chelsea splashed a club-record €113 million fee to bring him back to Stamford Bridge last summer.
Unfortunately for the Blues, Lukaku did not feel at home in west London and often cut a frustrating figure in front of goal, scoring only 15 times in 44 games across competitions.
The 29-year-old publicly voiced his desire to return to Inter Milan one day. Chelsea granted his wish in July, sending him back to the Italian giants on a season-long loan deal.
Lukaku will now look to make the most of his loan spell at the San Siro. He scored twice for Inter during pre-season and it would not be surprising to see him firing again in Saturday’s (August 13) Serie A opener against Lecce.
Lukaku scored 24 goals and provided 10 assists in his last stint in Serie A, emerging as the division’s best player and firing Inter to the title.
It will be interesting to see if he can produce something similar this term as well.
#4 Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich) - Bundesliga
In July, Bayern Munich signed Sadio Mane from Liverpool for a €32 million fee. Despite never playing in the Bundesliga before, the 2019-20 Premier League winner has settled in effortlessly at Bayern.
The defending German champions traveled to Eintracht Frankfurt for their 2022-23 Bundesliga opener on Saturday (August 6). The Senegalese forward started alongside Serge Gnabry in attack and found the back of the net within the opening half hour.
Gnabry ran down the byline before delivering an inch-perfect cross for Mane at the near post. Confident as ever, Mane met the ball and guided it past the keeper to put Bayern three goals to the good. Helped along by his performance, the Bavarians cruised to a 6-1 win over Frankfurt.
Mane may not score as many goals as former Bayern star Robert Lewandowski, but he could give Bayern’s attack a new dynamic with his unmatched work rate and endless stamina.
#3 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) - Premier League
The Premier League is arguably the most competitive football league in the world. Home to some of the sharpest coaches and prestigious clubs, almost all the top players wish to come and ply their trade in the English top flight.
In a sea of world-beaters and budding superstars, it is not easy to stand out. Yet, Manchester City superstar Kevin De Bruyne does so rather effortlessly, almost every season.
De Bruyne recorded 15 goals and eight assists in 30 Premier League games last season, emerging as City’s leading scorer and winning the PL 'Player of the Season' award for his contributions. Buoyed by his brilliance, the Citizens won the league title for the second consecutive season.
The Belgian, who scored two pre-season goals for Manchester City, kicked off his 2022-23 Premier League campaign with an exceptional performance on Sunday (August 7).
The 31-year-old assisted Erling Haaland for his second goal in a 2-0 win at West Ham United’s London Stadium. His defense-piercing pass speaks volumes about his undeniable quality.
#2 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) - La Liga
Ballon d’Or favorite Karim Benzema enjoyed the best-ever campaign of his professional career in the 2021-22 season.
The Frenchman recorded 44 goals and 15 assists in 46 games across competitions, helping Madrid to the La Liga-Champions League double. Out of his 44 goals, 27 came in 32 La Liga appearances, allowing him to win the league’s top scorer award, the Pichichi Trophy.
The France international is not only a brilliant goalscorer but also an excellent ball player, doubling his chances of making an impact for Los Blancos.
Expecting the 34-year-old to enjoy another such campaign might not be practical, but judging by his pre-season form, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him back on top once more.
If Carlo Ancelotti can keep him fresh for important matches, Real Madrid will have a real shot at retaining their league title at the end of the season.
#1 Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain) - Ligue 1
Last summer, Lionel Messi left Barcelona as a free agent, with the club failing to renew their record goalscorer due to financial turmoil.
Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain swooped in for the 35-year-old, making him a part of their fearsome attack comprising Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Having missed PSG’s pre-season campaign, Messi took time to settle in at his new club. A lack of familiarity and niggling injury concerns saw him finish the 2021-22 Ligue 1 campaign with only 11 goals and 14 assists in 26 appearances.
Although nothing extraordinary, his contributions helped the Parisians bring the French title back to the Parc des Princes.
Messi is back with a vengeance this season, scoring a brilliant brace in PSG’s Ligue 1 opener against Clermont Foot on Saturday (August 6). The Argentine’s second goal was arguably the best goal of the week, with him chesting down Leandro Paredes’ cross and dispatching an acrobatic overhead kick to beat the keeper.
If he keeps performing the way he did in the opener, he will not have much trouble outshining the division’s top players in the 2022-23 season.
Also Read: Ranking the 5 best players in the top 5 European leagues last weekend
