German football was once regarded as the fourth or fifth strongest league in Europe, but that has changed in recent years. The Bundesliga has become more competitive and a wider crop of players are opting to play their football in the country with top prospects now viewing Germany as the perfect destination to progress their careers. However, despite it being a time where a number of English players are looking to move to the nation's top flight, German players have still made the choice to make the opposite switch to England.
Just like you can use Sportwetten-online.com for a betting bonus, Norwich City boss Daniel Farke has used the knowledge from his homeland to attract several German players to Carrow Road. The end result of that is the Canaries putting themselves in an excellent position to earn promotion to the Premier League, and their results have been partly due to the form of Onel Hernandez. The diminutive winger had spent his career playing no higher than the second tier of German football and not living up to his potential, but Hernandez has been a different man under the guidance of Farke. Six goals and seven assists have been registered in the Championship this season - four of which have come as an impact substitute - and a continuation of that will surely lead to Norwich remaining on course for a return to the Premier League.
The displays of compatriot Marco Stiepermann have also aided Norwich's efforts. Steipermann has taken a similar career path to that of Hernandez, but the 28-year-old has also proven to be a revelation in East Anglia. A number of campaigns in 2. Bundesliga have been followed by a positive impression being made under Farke, and the former Greuther Furth and Bochum man has contributed six goals and five assists from 35 outings this season. There is an argument that Stiepermann's presence is proving decisive in the promotion race, and the midfielder is one of the first names on Farke's teamsheet.
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Leroy Sane has made the biggest impression of a German player in recent seasons. The winger left Schalke 04 to move to Manchester City in 2016 and although the 23-year-old has not always been first choice under Pep Guardiola, it is difficult to dispute that the Premier League champions are not better off with Sane in the team. The attacker's goals-and-assists-per-game ratio is one of the best in the country, and a total of 12 goals and 13 assists have come from 1917 minutes of football in the Premier League and Champions League this season. That works out at less than 77 minutes per contribution, and maintaining that return could be the difference in City's attempts to win the quadruple.
Bernd Leno was the latest high-profile name to leave Germany for England last summer. Arsenal required a long-term replacement for veteran Petr Cech, and Leno is currently showing that the Gunners have made the right choice in signing him from Bayer Leverkusen. The 27-year-old is yet to match his performances with clean sheets, but that is mainly down to injuries to Unai Emery's backline. Cech has already announced that he will retire at the end of the season and that is - to a certain extent - an acknowledgement that Leno will remain between the sticks for the North London outfit for a number of years.
The fifth player in our list currently plays in League One, but do not be surprised if he gets an opportunity higher up the pyramid in the future. Patrick Bauer is in his fourth season at Charlton Athletic after opting to remain at The Valley despite relegation in his first campaign, but the centre-back is doing all that he can to help the Addicks back up to the Championship. Charlton possess the fourth-best defensive record at the third tier, and just five goals have been conceded on Bauer's last nine appearances. The 26-year-old is crucial to this team, and it would come as a surprise if the former Maritmo man does not find himself playing at a higher level during the next campaign.
