Can you tell me who is the highest scorer in Europe's top five leagues at the moment? You're most likely thinking about the red-hot Eden Hazard or boy wonder Kylian Mbappé, both of whom have received a massive amount of praise for their starts to the season.
But what if I told you the most prolific striker in European football is someone you've probably never even heard of? There is one player in Europe who stands head and shoulders above the rest in terms of his goalscoring exploits this season.
Krzysztof Piatek has been on absolute fire for Genoa this season, finding the back of the net on 13 occasions in his first eight club games this season. He has scored at least once in every match he has featured in.
What makes this feat even more incredible is that it is Piatek's debut season in Italian football, having made a €4.5million move from Polish side Cracovia Kraków during the summer transfer window. He had an excellent scoring record in his native Poland, but the start he has made this season is surely beyond even his own wildest dreams.
Piatek is already breaking records, becoming the first player to score eight goals in his first six Serie A appearances. He scored four times on his debut, a Coppa Italia win over second tier side Lecce. He has since found the back of the net in all seven Serie A games, including braces against Sassuolo and Frosinone.
Piatek has carried this form into the international team, scoring his first goal for Poland against Portugal on Thursday evening, on what was only his second cap.
📋 - Straight off the training ground!
Take a look at how Krzysztof Piatek gave Poland the lead against Portugal...
Watch Poland v Portugal live on Sky Sports Football Red Button or watch in-game clips and highlights here: https://t.co/orKC8PgnPR pic.twitter.com/vlh1GWtWlC— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) October 11, 2018
Yet as the media gushes over the likes of Hazard and Mbappé, there has been almost nothing said in this part of the world about the top scorer in Europe's five major leagues. He is not the most eye-catching player, and perhaps that is why he is being ignored by many. What he does have is a real killer instinct in the penalty area. Take a look at his first nine goals in Serie A this season.
While he has been overlooked in many circles, major European clubs are now starting to stand up and take notice. Bayern Munich recently had scouts travel to Genoa to see him in action, and they may see him as the successor to compatriot Robert Lewandowski at the club.
Italian outlet La Gazetta have today reported that Napoli have tabled a €25million bid for his services, even offering to let him remain in Genoa until the end of the season. However his club are holding our for a fee of €60million.
Having handed less than 10% of that to sign him in the summer, Genoa are set to make a massive profit. Club owner Enrico Preziosi is not opposed to cashing in on his top talents, but you can be sure he will want to extract every penny from any possible deal.
Two months into the new season, Piatek shows no signs of slowing down. If he continues to score at his current rate of a goal every 50 minutes, expect to see more of the continent's top clubs come calling, and his price tag increase even more as a result.
