Best assist provider in the Ekstraklasa
At the age of 37, Lukas Podolski is far from thinking about the end of his career. The former German national player extended his expiring contract with the Polish first division club Górnik Zabrze on Friday until 2025. The 2014 world champion returned to his native country in the summer of 2021 and contributed 16 goals and 14 assists in 59 games. This season they have five goals and ten assists in the league, making Podolski the Ekstraklasa’s top assist provider.
“I grew up here, this has been my club since I was little,” explained the attacking midfielder, who was born in neighboring Gliwice. At just under 38, he is the fourth-oldest player in the Polish top flight this season. The ex-Cologne native had already ruled out the end of his active career in winter. Podolski has been a professional since 2003 and has appeared for eight different clubs in six countries. He is still missing a title in Poland. Górnik Zabrze last won the championship in 1988.
Podolski to Sané: Most expensive German footballers by total revenue
15 Lukas Podolski | Total proceeds from all transfers: €40.7 million
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Transfers: 1. FC Köln > Bayern Munich (€10m) > Köln (€10m) > Arsenal (€15m) > Inter (€0.6m loan fee) > Galatasaray (€2.5m €) > Vissel Kobe (€2.6m) > Antalyaspor (free) > Górnik Zabrze (free)
Status: April 2023
14 Emre Can | Total proceeds: €43 million
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FC Bayern > Leverkusen (€5m) > Liverpool (€12m) > Juventus (free) > BVB (€26m)
13 Antonio Rüdiger | Total proceeds: €48 million
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Stuttgart > Roma (€13m) > Chelsea (€35m) > Real Madrid (free)
12 Thilo Kehrer | Total proceeds: €49 million
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Schalke > PSG (€37m) > West Ham (€12m)
11 Shkodran Mustafi | Total proceeds: €49.1 million
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HSV > Everton (free) > Sampdoria (€0.08m) > Valencia (€8m) > Arsenal (€41m) > Schalke (free) > Levante (free)
10 Maximilian Philip | Total proceeds: €49.5 million
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Freiburg > BVB (€20m) > Dynamic Moscow (€20m) > Wolfsburg (€9.5m) > Werder (loan)
9 Mario Gomez | Total proceeds: €49.6 million
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Stuttgart > FC Bayern (€30m) > Florence (€15.5m) > Besiktas (loan) > Wolfsburg (€1.05m) > Stuttgart (€3m) > End of career
8 Mario Götze | Total proceeds: €62 million
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BVB > FC Bayern (€37m) > BVB (€22m) > PSV (free) > Eintracht Frankfurt (€3m)
7 Mats Hummels | Total proceeds: €69.7 million
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FC Bayern > BVB (€4.2m) > FC Bayern (€35m) > BVB (€30.5m)
6 Mesut Özil | Total proceeds: €70 million
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Schalke > Werder (€5m) > Real Madrid (€18m) > Arsenal (€47m) > Fenerbahce (free) > Basaksehir (free)
5 Kai Havertz | Total proceeds: €80 million
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Leverkusen > Chelsea (€80m)
4 Julian Draxler | Total proceeds: €81.5 million
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Schalke > Wolfsburg (€43m) > PSG (€36m) > Benfica (€2.5m loan fee)
3 Timo Werner | Total proceeds: €96 million
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Stuttgart > Leipzig (€23m) > Chelsea (€53m) > Leipzig (€20m)
2 André Schurrle | Total proceeds: €99.4 million
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Mainz > Leverkusen (€14m) > Chelsea (€22m) > Wolfsburg (€32m) > BVB (€30m) > Fulham (rental fee €0.4m) > Sp. Moscow (rental fee €1 million) > end of career
1 Leroy Sané | Total proceeds: €101 million
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Schalke > Man City (€52m) > FC Bayern (€49m)
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