Julian Brandt and Kai Havertz
Okay, so maybe we cheated and added six players instead of five but Julian Brandt and Kai Havertz were a package deal this season. Between them, the pair were responsible for 24 league goals and 14 assists which propelled Leverkusen to a Champions League spot.
Under Peter Bosz, Brandt and Havertz operated interchangeably between the number 8 and number 10 roles to great effect. While Havertz was the aggressor in terms of goals, scoring a record 17 in a single season by a teenager, Brandt was the more creative with 11 assists. Together they combined to form one of the league’s most exciting partnerships.
For the latter, his form was directly attributable to a shift in position which saw him moved from the left wing to a more central role. He was the creative force behind the likes of Havertz, Lucas Alario and Kevin Volland, whose goals resulted in Leverkusen ending the campaign as the Bundesliga’s fourth-highest scoring team.
Havertz ended as the joint-third highest scorer in the league. The 19-year-old was an ever-present for his club and smashed a number of records on route to his 17-goal haul. His goalscoring form is made all the more impressive by his creative and defensive returns which all indicate towards a complete player.
For Liverpool, signing either of Brandt or Havertz would be a great piece of business by the club. Signing both would put the club in genuine contention of winning the Premier League next season.