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The Premier League has been the home to players from all over the world and we have seen superstars from different corners of the world make their name in English football. However, Germany is an exception as their top players have opted to stay away from the limelight of Premier League football.
Germany likes to have their best players play in their own league (Bundesliga) as it gives them a better cohesiveness for their national team. Bayern Munich, being one of the biggest clubs in Europe, tends to sweep the best German players leaving very little to chose for the other European leagues.
Despite the small pool of superstars to choose from, today we look at the Top 5 German Players to have played in the Premier League.
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Jens Lehmann (Arsenal: 2003-06)
The history of the German Football team is always built on strong and reliable goal-keepers with the likes of Andreas Kopke, Oliver Kahn, and Manuel Neuer being the standouts. Premier League saw Jens Lehmann as the only German goal-keeper to stamp his authority on English football.
The former Arsenal man was signed as a replacement for their legendary shot-stopper David Seaman and it would be safe to say that he made quite a name for himself among the Arsenal faithful. Lehmann played 147 times for the Gunners and most notably was part of their ‘Invincible’ 2003-04 season.
Jens Lehmann could have conquered European football’s greatest honour but as fate would have it he was the player who got sent off in Arsenal’s Champions League Final defeat against Barcelona.
It is only fitting that Arsenal have finally managed to find a suitable replacement for the enigmatic Jens Lehmann almost a decade after his Emirates exit and it happens to be another German in Berd Leno.
Also check out: Bundesliga schedule Champions League Schedule Champions League table
Michael Ballack (Chelsea: 2006-10)
Michael Ballack was a leader, a vocal personality in the dressing room and above everything else, a conductor from the midfield for Chelsea during their late 2000’s era but it was not as easy as it sounds.
The former German captain had a forgetful debut season for The Blues where he was accused of being lazy, had to undergo ankle surgery and was even linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge.
However, Ballack stayed put and ended up winning the Double in his final season with the club in 2010 proving all the doubters wrong. The former Bayer Leverkusen midfielder won 4 trophies with Chelsea and was the runner up in the 2007-08 Champions League final, losing on penalties against Manchester United.
Ballack will go down as one of Chelsea’s best signings under Roman Abramovich given the qualities he brought on to the field and also because he was a free transfer. The German signed for Chelsea after his Bayern Munich contract had come to an end.
Mesut Ozil (Arsenal: 2013- Present)
The lazy genius that is Mesut Ozil divides opinion on a weekly basis. One week, his lazy elegance and creativity can show you what art looks like on a football pitch looks like, while he can be bashed for being lazy and careless the very next week.
Mesut Ozil joined Arsenal in the summer of 2013 after a successful stint with Real Madrid. He was an instant success for The Gunners leading them to back-to-back FA Cup trophies. The German's partnership with Alexis Sanchez was one of the Premier League’s highest points this decade with the playmaker ranking up 19 league assists in the 2015-16 season.
Arsenal fans often end up targeting Mesut Ozil for their poor results but to be fair, one man cannot be held accountable for the misery of an entire team.
Ozil is still one of the most eye-pleasing players in the Premier League and if he regains his old touch, Arsenal would win a far more consistent basis than they are at the moment.
Leroy Sane (Manchester City: 2016- Present)
This is perhaps the only name in our list of top 5 German players in Premier League may raise a few eyebrows as Leroy Sane is yet to fulfill his potential as a Manchester City player.
Sane joined the City revolution in the summer of 2016 from Schalke in a €50m deal. At first, the transfer fee looked hefty for a young player but soon those doubts were put to bed as he became one of the deadliest wingers in the Premier League.
The German's ability to take on the full-backs became one of Man City’s strongest weapons as Pep Guardiola won 2 back to back Premier League titles in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Sane so far has 25 goals in 89 appearances, making it an impressive goal return of 1 in less than 4 games.
The former Schalke winger was named the Premier League’s Young Player of the Year in 2017-18 season further erasing any doubts over his potential. However, the last 18 months have been a difficult one for the German star as he was first snubbed from Joachim Low’s World Cup squad and then injuries have shortened his playing time for Man City as well.
There are strong links of him joining Bayern Munich next summer as well. If that is the case, Premier League fans must be hoping for Sane to be fit and show them what he is capable of.
Dietmar Hamann (Newcastle United, Liverpool, Bolton, Manchester City)
Speaking of continuity, Dietmar Hamann is one of the longest-serving German players of the Premier League. Hamann first came to Premier League when he signed for Newcastle United in the 1998-99 season. After just one season with the Magpies, he signed for Liverpool and went on to play 191 Premier League matches for The Reds.
However, Hamann’s greatest moment in a Liverpool shirt came when he won the Champions League Final vs AC Milan in 2005-06 season. Hamann scored the crucial first penalty in the shootout that night and is still remembered fondly by the Scousers.
Hamann was a no-nonsense midfielder and liked to leave a mark on opponents with his tackles. His 11-year stint in Premier League football earned him a lot of admirers and a spot in our list of top 5 German Players to have played in Premier League.
Honorable Mentions: Lukas Podolski, Jurgen Klinsmann, Andre Schurrle, and Thomas Hitzlsperger.
