Silva, Lacroix and and the top five Bundesliga signings of the season

Stefan Bienkowski

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 4 min read

Although the Bundesliga is perhaps best known for developing its own talent, that doesn’t mean Germany’s top clubs are averse to wheeling and dealing like the rest of Europe. 

Although the current pandemic has tightened the purse strings across the German top flight, there were still a number of outstanding signings made over the course of the 2020/21 season that had a huge impact on the league campaign. 

Here are the five best pieces of business in the Bundesliga this season.

1. Andre Silva (£2.7m)

It would be simply ridiculous to talk about some of the best Bundesliga signings of the season without starting with Andre Silva at Eintracht Frankfurt. 

Having enjoyed a successful loan spell with the Eagles last season, Silva then made his move to Frankfurt permanent for a paltry sum of £2.7 million. Since then the Portuguese forward has gone on to become one of the most prolific strikers in German football. 

To date the 25-year-old talent has scored 21 goals in just 24 league games for Frankfurt. Throw in another four assists to that mix and you’ve got a player that is scoring or creating goals at a rate bested by just three players across the entire division. 

Not only has Silva proved to be a bargain but he’s also been one of the top performers in the division this season. 

2. Max Kruse (Free)

As a recently promoted side in desperate need of the talent and experience to avoid relegation, Union Berlin played a masterstroke in signing Max Kruse on a free contract last summer. 

Having decided to leave Fenerbahce after claiming the Turkish giants hadn’t paid his wages, the 32-year-old striker made the move to the German capital and has quickly re-established himself as a fantastic Bundesliga player. 

Although a serious muscle injury in December severely limited his game time for Union, Kruse has still managed 10 goals and five assists in just 14 Bundesliga games. Which means his goals and assists average per 90 minutes this season is second only to Robert Lewandowski and better than Erling Haaland’s current average for Dortmund this season. 

3. Ermedin Demirovic (£3.3m) 

Having fallen out of favour at Alaves after his move to Spain in 2017, Ermedin Demirovic then opted for a return to German football when Freiburg footed a respectable sum of £3.3m for his services last summer. 

Having scored 14 goals and provided a further seven assists in last season’s Swiss Super League, Freiburgh head coach Christian Streich clearly thought the Bosnia international could offer his side something in the Bundesliga. And so far he’s been absolutely right. 

Although the target man has only scored four goals in 23 Bundesliga games to date, the 23-year-old has bagged a further eight league assists as the focal point of Freiburg’s attack. Young, talented and a relatively cheap signing makes Demirovic a very smart signing indeed. 

4. Maxence Lacroix (£4.5m)

Only one team have conceded fewer goals than Oliver Glasner’s Wolfsburg side this season and much of that success has been down to the emergence of young central defender Maxence Lacroix. 

After signing from Sochaux in the summer of 2020 for a reported £4.5m, Lacroix was thrown into a revamped Wolfsburg defensive line alongside seasoned Bundesliga defender John Brooks. And since then their partnership has blossomed. 

Although defenders rarely get much credit for their teams reaching new heights, Lacroix has quickly proven himself at Bundesliga level and at just 20 years of age the French talent is undoubtedly one of the most exciting, young players in the division this season. 

5. Ridle Baku (£9m) 

While Wolfsburg’s defence has undoubtedly provided the backbone for the club’s form projecting them into the Bundesliga top four, there’s little doubt that their attacking line can also pack a serious punch. 

One of the main reasons behind that extra bite in attack has been the speed and technique on the right flank almost single handedly provided by new signing Ridle Baku. 

Signed from Mainz last summer for a reported £9m, Baku has proved to be a hugely instrumental player in Glasner’s side, by truly thriving at right-back, right wing or even in an even more attacking position. 

His dribbles from deep and crosses into the box have provided five goals and four assists this season and undoubtedly been an irreplaceable part of Wolfsbrug’s impressive campaign to date.