1) Jonas - SL Benfica
The surprising leader for this year’s golden shoe winner is Benfica’s striker Jonas who has 29 goals to his name. The Portuguese league has been given a UEFA factor of 2.0 equal with Spain, Italy and England allowing Jonas to be highest in the rankings despite playing a lesser known league.
Jonas was not a prolific striker in his past stints. He played for a few Brazilian clubs that included Gremio and Santos in the early part of his career. At Santos, he only managed to score once in his 12 appearances.
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He joined Valencia in 2011 and spent four seasons with the Spanish club scoring 36 times in 112 appearances. But apart from a few flashes of brilliance, he did not really establish himself as a reliable forward in the team.
He rescinded his contract in 2014 and joined Portuguese giants Benfica. And at the age of 31, he seems to have found his shooting boots, scoring an amazing 49 goals in his 54 appearances.
This season alone he has managed 29 goals in 27 league appearances and received a call-up to the Brazilian national side. With a star-studded chasing pack hot on his heels, Jonas’ consistency of scoring will be tested. But if he does manage to maintain this rate it will be an amazing achievement.
