TOP 8 GERMANS IN THE EPL

The news will not go away, ‘Arsenal are on the verge of signing German wonder kid JULIAN DRAXLER’, and to an extent may be the truth.  Is Arsene Wenger starting another revolution in Arsenal? He changed their football, their stadium, training centre, the teams identity and style, the players discipline, the club’s financial model and focus. Arsene Wenger 17 years in Arsenal may not be laden with trophies like that of Ferguson at United, but its no doubt laden with one revolution  after another. Revolution that has impact on  Arsenal, the premiership and the football world generally and will yet impact on the future of Arsenal and the game.

He brought the French contingent and today lots of french players are playing in the premiership. Newcastle is fast copying that model and its working with great effect. Yet it seems Wenger isn’t yet done.

Enter the German Revolution. Of the 8 german players registered in the premiership 4 of them currently plays for Arsenal, and it seems Wenger is set to add more. We all know what the Germans brings to the game: efficient, ruthless and an incomparablwe winning mentality. It’s the reason the world refers to them as the GERMAN MANCHINE!

With the impending signing of Julian Draxler

from Schalke we felt we should look at some of the best German talents to have played and are still playing in the Premiership.

JENS LEHMAN

The Essen native played on both sides of the Ruhr derby and for Milan before joining Arsenal in 2003. In London, the shot-stopper spent five seasons before returning to Stuttgart for the final phase of his career. And although he retired in 2010, the next spring he was brought back to injury crisis-stricken Arsenal for a brief spell.

Lehmann may have been sent off more than any goalkeeper in Bundesliga history (he was also red carded in the 2006 Champions League final), but he was a magnificent player in his prime.

PER MERTESACKER

After spending his entire career previously at Hannover and Werder Bremen, Per Mertesacker joined Arsenal in 2011. The 28-year-old has since been a regular fixture in Arsene Wenger's defense, with only a nasty ankle injury keeping off the pitch for an extended period of time. 

Mertesacker's talent was spotted at a young age: He earned his first cap for the senior German national team in 2004, just days after his 20th birthday. Nearly nine years later, the towering center-back has made 86 appearances for his country.

Still in contention for a starting spot in a German team that includes strong central defenders in Mats Hummels, Holger Badstuber, Benedikt Howedes and Jerome Boateng, Arsenal man Mertesacker is impossible to ignore in this XI. This season he has formed a strong partnership with Koscielny at the back for Arsenal turning the once fragile Arsenal’s defence to the best in the league!

ROBERT HUTH

Watching Robert Huth play, one might easily mistake him for an English center-back. The 28-year-old has plied his trade in the Premier League since he joined Chelsea from Union Berlin in 2001, and he has established himself well in the EPL.

Perhaps in part due to his isolation from the German game and development within Premier League culture, Huth hasn't been any part of Joachim Low's DFB team since 2009.

Still, Huth has proven his credentials with over 200 appearances in the EPL. He is perhaps one of the most underrated defenders in the league.

DIETMAR HAMAAN

Like Huth, Dietmar Hamann left Germany for England at a relatively young age. The midfielder joined Newcastle as a 25-year-old in 1998, and enjoyed stints at Liverpool and Manchester City before retiring in 2009. It should also be noted that he made a brief comeback as a player-manager with Milton Keynes Dons in late 2010.

Although he never won a major international trophy with Germany, Hamann earned 59 caps for his country and 268 appearances in the Premier League. He won the Uefa Cup with both Liverpool and Bayern, and his quality and experience make him a natural inclusion in this X

MICHAEL BALLACK

Arguably the best German footballer to ever play in the Premier League is Michael Ballack. And if he was not the best, it's debatable that among all Germans to ever play in England, Ballack spent his best years on the island.

After enjoying an illustrious career with Kaiserslautern, Leverkusen and Bayern, Ballack moved to Chelsea in 2006. The midfielder won three FA Cups, the FA Community Shield, the League Cup and the Premier League during his time in England, and he was an absolutely vital part of the club's midfield.

His career may not have ended in a blaze of glory, but the 36-year-old did make 98 caps for Germany and deserves considerable respect for being one of the best players to never win a major international trophy for club or country.

JURGEN KLINSMAN

Jurgen Klinsmann was such a gifted and well-traveled striker, that he could be in the all-time best XI of Germans playing in Italy, France and the United States, as well as England.

During an illustrious playing career, the Goppingen native plied his trade at the likes of Inter, Monaco, Bayern and more. And for two stints in the 1990s, he played for Tottenham.

Although brief, Klinsmann's first stay in London was memorable. The striker scored 30 goals in 50 appearances in 1994-95, before moving on to Bayern. He returned for a brief stay in 1998, in which he netted nine times in 15 appearances.

Klinsmann was most successful on the international stage, where he won the 1990 World Cup and Euro 1996. He was highly decorated during his career, and although his time with Spurs was limited, he made his impression felt.

LUKAS PODOLSKI

After years of being linked with a transfer to Arsenal, Lukas Podolski finally made his move to the London outfit last summer.

The 27-year-old left his hometown club of Koln, and has since scored 13 goals and given 11 assists in 34 appearances for Arsenal. And this season though his appearance has been limited by injuries yet he has started 2 games this season, starting 4 as a substitute and contributed with 3 goals. Also in the FA cup he has added a further two goals.

Having amassed 107 appearances for country, he is the fourth-most capped Germany international in history. Only five players have exceeded his tally of 44 goals for the DFB team, making him one of his country's best forwards of all time. He certainly is one of the top German forwards to play in England.

MESUT OZIL

Signed for a club record forty two million pounds from Real Madrid, the german is arguably the finest German to play in the premier league. His impact is been felt already, 5 goals and 10 assists in all competition, but much more than the stats he has brought a belief to Arsenal that have turn them to genuine title contenders. Up until Tuesday night Arsenal has been top of the league for the most part of this season and could yet go top if City and Chelsea drew their match on Monday provided Arsenal wins theirs too on Sunday! Yet more is still to come from the German as this is just his first season in the premiership.