Robert Lewandowski, Bayern Munich
The most effective striker in the Bundesliga for the past three years, the Poland spearhead has left Borussia Dortmund, who he helped to titles in 2011 and 2012, to join Bayern. His style, mostly effective on the counter-attack, may need adapting. Pep Guardiola’s Bayern sometimes played with no target man last season.
Stefan Kiessling, Bayer Leverkusen
Kiessling scored five goals in the German Cup last weekend and another in Bayer Leverkusen’s Uefa Champions League play-off win in Copenhagen. His record as a Bundesliga finisher is excellent, but he has just six Germany caps. His relationship with national coach Joachim Loew is strained but, with Miroslav Klose retired from international football, there may be a vacancy.
Christoph Kramer, Borussia Monchengladbach
Before June, Kramer, 23, had never played a competitive international. The next month he was starting in a World Cup final, thrust into the limelight thanks to Sami Khedira’s injury in the warm-up. Ambitious and self-confident, the midfielder needs a strong club season to follow up his breakthrough summer. He is on loan at Monchengladbach from Leverkusen.
Thiago Alcantara, Bayern Munich
Thiago was Guardiola’s most wanted recruit for Bayern a year ago. Surplus at Barcelona, the midfielder showed signs of why his coach rates him so highly, of his potential to govern Bayern’s passing game. But he also spent long periods injured and a knee problem keeps him out of the first month of this season. After that, he needs to impose himself as the natural replacement for the departed Toni Kroos.
Nicklas Bendtner, Wolfsburg
Bendtner, 26, the Dane with attitude, has ended a long association with Arsenal where, as a teenager, a brilliant career was forecast but where he only rarely delivered. Loaned out several times, he needs to rebuild his career and has time to do so. Disciplinary issues partly led to an unhappy end to his Premier League days. Wolfsburg may be the right sort of place for him to refocus.
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