"Patrik Schick is in the same category as Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland" - Rudi Völler
Patrik Schick ranks alongside Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland as one of the three best strikers in the world today, according to Bayer Leverkusen managing director of sport Rudi Völler.
Schick sits second in this season's Bundesliga scoring charts, with 18 goals in 17 appearances. Bayern Munich's Lewandowski (23 goals in 20 starts) and Borussia Dortmund No.9 Haaland (16 goals in 14 games) are top and third respectively.
"Is Patrik Schick in the world-class category alongside Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland? You only have to look at the Bundesliga scoring charts, where he's right between the pair," said Völler, a scorer of 132 goals in 232 Bundesliga appearances, and 1990 FIFA World Cup winner with Germany.
"He scored as many goals as Cristiano Ronaldo at the Euros, so was already in the world-class category, but has only got better with us this season. He has a lot of qualities: heading the ball - he's the best at that of the [aforementioned] three. His pace. His left football is brilliant. He's a centre-forward who can really play and also hold up the ball."
Watch: Patrik Schick under the tactical microscope
The statistics add weight to Völler's effusive words.
Since making the switch from Roma - via a loan spell with Bundesliga rivals RB Leipzig - Schick has scored 31 goals in 57 competitive games for Leverkusen. A club record 16 of them fell during the first half of the current Bundesliga campaign, including four in one second-half blitz against Greuther Fürth.
With a further two efforts in three outings since the restart, the 26-year-old has also set a new gold standard for single-season Bundesliga goals by a Czech national, superceeding Jan Koller and Pavel Kuka (both 16). He's even outdoing Lewandowski in the minutes-per-goal department 74 to 75. Only Haaland has proved more efficient (72) than the Bundesliga's December 2021 Player of the Month.
Had Schick not missed three league games through injury, it stands to reason he'd be in an even more favourable position to deny Lewandowski a fifth successive Bundesliga Torjägerkanone, with 14 rounds of fixtures remaining.
Watch: Schick - December Player of the Month
No matter who claims the prize come May, Völler says the Bundesliga should be proud to be the home of the world's three best strikers.
"There aren't three centre-forwards of that calibre in England, Spain or Italy, are there?" he said. "They're all here."
Related news
How can Alonso solve his striker dilemma?
Alonso is without his two leading strikers, with Boniface and Schick both injured. So what options do the champions have to fill the void?
Perfect hat-tricks in the Bundesliga
Left foot, right foot, header - it's a pretty remarkable feat to score one of each in a single game. Schick has now done it twice, but who else has hit a perfect hat-trick in the Bundesliga?
Schick hat-trick aids in Bayer 04 comeback
Patrik Schick netted an impressive treble as Bayer Leverkusen fought back from 2-0 down to secure a 5-2 victory over Heidenheim at the BayArena.