The four top scorers of 2023 are threatening to pull clear, with Erling Haaland out in front. But Youssef En-Nesyri is on their tails after bullying Man Utd.
Kylian Mbappe led the 2022 top goalscorers list by six goals from the old man at Barcelona. But he could not win France the World Cup, the daft fraud.
The criteria: All club goals in all competitions for clubs in Europe’s top five leagues.
10) Wissam Ben Yedder – Monaco (12 goals)
Twelve goals in 16 games for Ben Yedder, who needs just three more for a third successive 20-goal top-flight season.
9) Thijs Dallinga – Toulouse (13 goals)
Us neither. He’s Dutch, he cost them about £2m in the summer and although there has been some stat-padding against lower-league French sides in the cup, there have also been eight in the league.
8) Jonathan David – Lille (14 goals)
Matching Mbappe almost stride for stride in the Ligue Un top scorers list is the Canadian striker whose price tag is now north of £50m as Milan and Arsenal show interest.
7) Alexandre Lacazette – Lyon (14 goals)
There was a hat-trick against Chambery in the cup to boost the numbers but this is still a 20-goal Ligue 1 season for the 31-year-old.
6) Kylian Mbappe – PSG (14 goals)
No goals in defeats to Bayern Munich, Rennes, Lyon or Nice kept him well off the pace in 2023, though Lens and Angers put him back on track.
5) Youssef En-Nesyri – Sevilla (15 goals)
David de Gea and Harry Maguire will be relieved not to see the 25-year-old again this season. En-Nesyri is having a fine year on the back of goals against Canada and Portugal en route to a World Cup semi-final.
4) Victor Osimhen – Napoli (16 goals)
Two more goals against Torino took the Nigerian striker to 15 goals from 15 games in 2023. It’s little wonder that he is so keenly sought by every big club in Europe. Nor that Napoli twice lost to Milan in his injury-enforced absence. He returned with a goal in the Champions League but Napoli were ousted.
3) Marcus Rashford – Man Utd (17 goals)
The Tories’ least favourite football personality not named Gary Lineker is thriving. The youngest English or Man Utd player to score 25 goals in European competition is not half bad.
2) Karim Benzema – Real Madrid (17 goals)
Back-to-back hat-tricks against Real Valladolid and Barcelona made it 19 goals in as many post-World Cup games for Karim Benzema, who drew a blank against Villarreal but then scored v Chelsea. Because of course, he did.
1) Erling Haaland – Manchester City (22 goals)
A late strike in the 4-1 win over Arsenal took him to 49 in his debut campaign for Man City. This is a ridiculous season from Haaland.