Ranked: Top 10 strikers in Europe so far this season

Goals win games and that's what a striker does for you. As football is evolving, the role of a striker is also changing with it as well. The strikers have more to do than to just score goals these days. They get more involved in the game by holding the ball, linking up with the team-mates and sometimes dropping deep to dictate the play which is making the job of a striker more and more difficult.

We pick the top 10 strikers in Europe so far this season who not only score goals for fun but also contribute in other aspects of the game as well.

Criteria: The list only features players who have 10 or more than goals playing as a centre-forward in all competitions.

Also see : Womens World Cup Bracket, Copa America Standings, Gold Cup Standings

#10 Krzysztof Piatek:

Club: AC Milan/Genoa

The 23-year old Polish striker is having a terrific season in Serie A. Piatek started the season with Genoa and scored 13 goals in 18 appearances for the club in Serie A. His exceptional performances generated a lot of interest across Europe and he was bought by Italian giants AC Milan in the January transfer window for a reported fee of €35 million.

The 23-year-old has continued his brilliant goal-scoring form with AC Milan and has thus far scored 6 goals in 7 appearances. He averages 3.4 shots per game in all competitions this season. The Polish international can dominate defenders in the air and wins almost 2 aerial duels per game.

Finishing the ball in the back of the net is his greatest asset and the AC Milan number 9 doesn't miss many chances. He has the same number of goals (19) as Cristiano Ronaldo in Seria A and is in the running for the golden boot.

#9 Antoine Griezmann:

Club: Atletico Madrid

Club Atletico de Madrid's star Antoine Griezmann

Antoine Griezmann is considered amongst the best players in the world. The 28-year old won the Fifa World Cup last summer with France and finished 3rd in 2018's Ballon d'Or. He has scored 91 goals in 171 appearances for Atletico Madrid since his arrival from Real Sociedad back in 2014 for a reported €30 million. The Frenchmen has 26 goals and 11 assists in all competition this season.

Griezmann can play in a number of attacking positions on the pitch but his best performances this season have come as a centre-forward. He has made 36 appearances as a centre-forward for Atletico Madrid and France combined, scoring 18 goals. The Frenchman averages 2.9 shots and almost 2 key passes per game in all competitions. He is excellent in keeping hold of the ball and has the ability to score from long distances.

#8 Mo Salah:

Club: Liverpool

Mo Salah was a revelation for Liverpool last season, scoring 42 goals in all competitions. He scored record-breaking 32 goals in the Premier League last season, surpassing Alan Shearer, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Luis Suarez. This season the Egyptian has scored 27 goals and contributed in another 8 assists this season so far.

The 26-year old is usually preferred on the right side of the front-3 but has his best has come as a centre-forward. He has thus far made 14 appearances as a centre-forward and has scored 15 goals. He averages 3.4 shots and 1.7 key passes per game this season. The speedster has the ability to get past opposition defenders using his blistering pace and averages almost 2 dribbles per game. Mo Salah hasn't hit similar heights as last season and will be looking to finish the season on the high and score as many as he can in the remaining games this season.

#7 Luis Suarez:

Club:FC Barcelona

Luis Suarez has been a key part of Barcelona's squad since his arrival from Liverpool back in 2014. The 32-year old is considered one of the deadliest striker in Europe. The Uruguayan is one of the most complete forwards in the world. He can play as a target man or drop deep and dictate the game if his team require him to do so. He has thus far scored 24 goals and has 10 assists to his name.

Only teammate Lionel Messi has scored more goals than Luis Suarez in the La Liga this season. Suarez averages 3.5 and 1.7 key passes per game, which are quite impressive stats. The striker hasn't lost his goal-scoring instincts even at the age of 32 and can lead the Barcelona front-line at least for a couple of years more. The veteran striker is unplayable on his day and his coordination with Lionel Messi makes Barcelona one of the most dangerous attacking sides in Europe.

#6 Harry Kane :

Club: Tottenham

Harry Kane is one of the most complete centre-forwards in Europe. The 25-year-old was deemed a 'one season wonder' when he scored 21 goals during the 2014/15 Premier League season and has proved his doubters wrong with exceptional goal-scoring stats since then. The striker has thus far scored 125 goals in 176 appearances for Tottenham so far.

After winning the golden boot in the 2018 FIFA World Cup with 6 goals in 6 appearances, Kane is having a terrific season with Tottenham once again. He has scored 29 goals and has 7 assists in all competitions so far. The 25-year-old averages 3.4 shots and 1.1 key passes per game. He wins 2.5 aerial duels on an average and averages 1.1 dribbles per game. The Tottenham striker is in the race for the Premier League golden boot with 17 goals in the League this season.

#5 Sergio Aguero:

Club: Manchester City

Sergio Aguero is considered one of the best strikers to embrace the Premier League. The 30-year old Argentine has been terrific for Manchester City ever since his arrival from Atletico Madrid back in 2011. The striker has thus far scored 161 goals and provided 41 assists in 232 appearances for Manchester City and is already a legend at the club. Aguero has scored 28 goals this season and contributed another 6 assists this season in all competitions. He averages 3.5 shots and 1.2 dribbles per game. The striker's ability to score from long ranges makes him more deadly.

Aguero joined the elites by scoring his 11th hat-trick in the Premier League and is the joint record holder with England and Newcastle United's legend Alan Shearer. He is leading the goal-scoring charts in the Premier League with 18 goals in the league and will be looking to end up as league's top scorer.

#4 Robert Lewandowski:

Club: Bayern Munich

The Polish hitman just cannot stop scoring goals. The 30-year old has broken the 40-goal barrier in all competitions in each of the last three full seasons and is nearing the same number again this season. The Polish international has scored 124 goals in 151 appearances for Bayern Munich. The striker has 31 goals and 9 assists to his name this season so far.

The 6′ 1″ striker is a nightmare for defenders. He wins 2.1 aerial duels on an average each game, which is a better number than any of the striker featured on this list. He averages 3.6 shots and 1.3 key passes per game. Bayern Munich will be hoping for their talisman to continue his goal-scoring form for the rest of the season to increase their chances of lifting the title at the end of the season.

#3 Cristiano Ronaldo

Club: Juventus FC

Different league, same old Cristiano Ronaldo. The 34-year old was deemed too old to succeed in Seria A with Juventus and is once again proving his haters wrong. The 5 times Balon d'Or winner has 29 goals and another 10 assists to his name in all competitions this season. He averages an incredible 5.9 shots per game. No other player in Europe's top 5 even comes close to that number.

The Portuguese international can jump higher than an average NBA player and uses that ability to win 1.2 aerial duels per game in a league full of incredible defenders. He also averages 1.6 key passes per game in all competition. The superstar attacker has found his goal-scoring form back in the UEFA Champions League, making Juventus the favourites to finally lift the trophy after years of trying. The 34-year old is proving that age is just a number and that he is still the best there is.

#2 Kylian Mbappe

Club: Paris Saint-Germain

The 20-year old boy-wonder is living up to the hype once again. He lifted the FIFA World Cup with France last summer and is now tearing up the French league this season, and there is a reason he is above the mighty Cristiano Ronaldo on the list. The French wonder-kid has thus far scored an incredible 38 goals and provided 11 assists on top of that this season. He averages 3.5 shots and 1.6 key passes per game. He also averages 2.6 dribbles per game.

Kylian Mbappe's blistering pace and his ability to get past players with ease make it difficult for defenders to stop him. The 20-year-old has overshadowed the likes of Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain with his performances this season and will be among the best players in the world in a couple of years if he continues this form.

#1 Lionel Messi

Club: FC Barcelona

There are no words in the English dictionary that can describe Lionel Messi as a footballer. The little magician just cannot stop scoring and creating at the moment and his stats are best in Europe's top-5 leagues so far this season. He is thus far scored a whopping 41 goals and contributed 17 assists in all competitions. The 31-year old is the most versatile footballer on the planet and can play in any position in attack and midfield.

He has played 8 games as a centre-forward, scoring 10 goals in the process. He averages 5.3 shots per game. Only Cristiano Ronaldo averages more shots per game in Europe's top 5 leagues. He also averages 3.1 key passes per game and completes almost 4 dribbles per game. Lionel Messi can power Barcelona to the treble this season with his incredible form in front of goal.

Edited by Nnanna Mba