-
The Bundesliga is home to some of the fastest players in world football
-
Jeremiah St Juste was the Bundesliga’s quickest player in 2022
-
Read below for a complete list of the fastest Bundesliga players right now
Of Europe’s top five leagues, the Bundesliga is the closest match to the Premier League’s style of play.
Physical and played at a high pace, German football has numerous speedsters at its topflight clubs.
These Bundesliga betting stars can impact a game in numerous ways, whether orchestrating rapid attacking transitions or covering for the errors of teammates.
Here are the fastest players in the Bundesliga according to various online sources…
Fastest Bundesliga Players 2023:
Braydon Manu
A winger for Darmstadt, Braydon Manu isn’t the biggest name on this list. Manu is playing in the Bundesliga for the first time in his career following Darmstadt’s promotion.
In 2022-23, he recorded 14 goal involvements in the second tier, putting his pace to good use whether used as a forward or right winger.
In the first few weeks of 2023-24, Manu has been in and out of the starting line up and used in different roles.
Takuma Asano
A star of the 2022 World Cup with his late winner against Germany, Takuma Asano was rumoured as a target for bigger clubs around Europe after his showing in Qatar, but he remains with Bochum for the 2023-24 season.
The Japanese international has played for Bochum since 2019, scoring 10 times in 62 appearances.
His pace was a threat throughout the World Cup, particularly against tiring defences. He’s yet to reach those dizzy heights at club level, however, with relatively mediocre numbers across the board.
Justin Njinmah
After spending 2022-23 on loan at Borussia Dortmund, Justin Njinmah has already matched his total for Bundesliga minutes in 2023-24.
It took only two appearances for the 22-year-old to receive 22 minutes of game time on his return to Werder Bremen, where he made his first senior appearance back in January 2022.
Njinmah scored 18 times for Dortmund II last season, earning one of the Bundesliga’s highest pace ratings for the 2023-24 campaign.
It will be fascinating to see what kind of role he is given for Bremen, who finished just three points above the bottom three last season.
Timo Werner
The days of being among the football betting favourites for the Kicker-Torjägerkanone are in the distant past.
Timo Werner has scored 19 goals across his last three league seasons, after netting 28 for RB Leipzig in 2019-20.
The Germany international remains among the world’s fastest players, however, with his pace a constant factor for Leipzig. Even when he’s not been scoring, he’s a threat for opposing defences.
The 2022-23 season saw a slight improvement for Werner, with his finishing improving considerably after massively underperforming at Chelsea. Leipzig will be hoping he can keep that up in 2023-24.
Leroy Sane
One of the fastest players in world football for the best part of a decade, Leroy Sane has completed a threepeat since signing for Bayern Munich in 2020.
He’s lived up to expectations since returning to the Bundesliga, registering 44 goal involvements through three full campaigns.
The arrival of Harry Kane doesn’t seem to have impacted Sane’s minutes. If anything, Kane’s presence should make Sane’s life easier, and we could see a career-high in goal involvements if the former Manchester City man can stay fit all season.
Lois Openda
A man in demand first with Club Brugge and then with Lens, Loïs Openda sealed his big money move in the summer of 2023, moving to RB Leipzig for around £40 million.
Openda is immediately one of the fastest players in the Bundesliga, and will be a player to keep an eye on throughout his maiden season in German football.
With 45 goal involvements over his last two league seasons, Leipzig will be hoping Openda can fire them towards the top of the table after losing Christopher Nkunku to Chelsea.
Sheraldo Becker
Suriname international Sheraldo Becker has been with Union Berlin since 2019.
Since arriving from ADO Den Haag, Becker has seen Union transform from Bundesliga also-ran to a team with back-to-back top-five finishes.
Becker was integral in Union’s strong start to 2022-23, picking up Player of the Month after scoring four goals and notching a pair of assists in August.
Union maintained that pace, which Becker had helped, set on their way to an historic Champions League qualification.
Jeremie Frimpong
Jeremie Frimpong moved to Bayer Leverkusen from Celtic in 2019.
Only a squad player initially, Frimpong’s role has grown during his time with Leverkusen, leading to 32 starts in the Bundesliga in 2022-23.
Used anywhere from right-back to right winger, Frimpong has been integral for the club since Xabi Alonso took over.
His elite speed is matched by supreme dribbling ability, which makes him a threat down the right flank whether providing an overlap or going one-on-one with the opposing full-back.
Alphonso Davies
Could Alphonso Davies work his way into the all-time Bundesliga starting XI? It’s a big ask, but the Canadian phenom certainly has a chance.
A regular starter for Bayern as a teenager, Davies only turns 23 part way through the 2023-24 Bundesliga season.
He’s already been named to the FIFPro World XI, and won five Bundesliga titles and a Champions League, with more hardware being inevitable providing he can stay fit.
There are few, if any, comparisons to Davies in world football. Like other great full backs before him, he’s a player that will be remembered fondly for years to come.
Karim Adeyemi
Former Salzburg striker Karim Adeyemi made the move to join Borussia Dortmund before the 2022-23 season.
Injuries disrupted his first season with the Black and Yellows, leading to just 11 goal involvements across 15.4 nineties, but expectations remain high for the youngster.
According to EA Sports’ latest release, Adeyemi is the quickest player in the Bundesliga in 2023-24. Anyone who has watched him in action will find it hard to argue.
Fastest Bundesliga Players 2022:
Noah Sarenren Bazee – 35.90 km/h
Noah Sarenren Bazee made just one Bundesliga start in 2021-22, but that was still enough to earn a spot in the top 10 Bundesliga sprint speeds.
The Augsburg winger scored his lone goal of the campaign against Borussia Dortmund in March.
Eligible to represent Germany and Nigeria, Sarenren Bazee was named in the Nigerian squad to face Senegal and Burkina Faso back in 2017 but he’s yet to make his international debut.
Emre Can – 35.96 km/h
Not renowned for his agility or acceleration, Emre Can still ranks well when it comes to top speed.
The former Liverpool man was used across the defence and in a couple of different midfield roles in 2021-22 and he was occasionally able to really stretch his legs and show the pace he’s got.
The signings of Niklas Sule and Nico Schlotterbeck mean we will see far less of Can in a central defensive role in 2022-23.
There have been occasional rumours that he could depart Dortmund in 2022 summer window, though there’s likely still a squad role there for him given his versatility.
Lukas Klostermann – 35.97 km/h
Germany international Lukas Klostermann is one of the more mobile defenders in European football at the moment.
Klostermann has the foot speed to be effective at right back or at the heart of the defence. It’s a profile which works perfectly in a high defensive line, and he’s a difficult defender to take on.
Klostermann’s athletic heritage has been well covered – he’s from a sporting family, and spent his formative years competing in track and field as well as on the football field.
His speed is what caught the eye of scouts at a young age, but it didn’t take long for clubs to become aware that Klostermann had the football ability to match his quickness.
If Leipzig are to cause a Bundesliga predictions upset next season and topple Bayern, they will need Klostermann to be at his best.
Moussa Diaby – 35.99 km/h
Coming off a stellar 13-goal, 12-assist campaign with Bayer Leverkusen, Moussa Diaby is a man in demand this summer.
The Frenchman has been extensively linked with a move to nouveau riche Newcastle, and at just 22 years old, he’s an enthralling prospect. He’s already shown he can deliver in one of the best leagues in Europe.
Diaby’s electric speed is the first thing that stands out. He can burn past opposing defenders at will, and he’s got the technical ability to utilise that pace in possession, too.
Effective from either flank or occasionally in a central role, Diaby will terrorise Premier League defences if he gets his move.
Jeremie Frimpong – 36.07 km/h
Former Celtic defender Jeremie Frimpong joined Bayer Leverkusen in January 2021.
He played a major role for the club in 2021-22, appearing in 25 Bundesliga matches as the club secured a top four berth.
Eligible for Ghana, the Netherlands and England on the international stage, Frimpong has represented the Oranje at multiple age group levels, though is yet to make his under-21 debut.
Bryan Lasme – 36.08 km/h
Young winger Bryan Lasme made just seven starts for relegated Arminia Bielefeld in 2021-22.
Lasme was a popular substitute for the Die Blauen, however, coming off the bench 16 times. He scored twice in the campaign, but was largely ineffective following his move from Sochaux in 2021.
With Arminia Bielefeld heading to the second tier, this a summer of uncertainty for many of their players, including Lasme.
Alphonso Davies – 36.37 km/h
Injury limited Alphonso Davies to just 20 Bundesliga starts last term. It is still no surprise to see the Canadian phenomenon on this list of the fastest players in the Bundesliga.
Nicknamed ‘Road Runner’, Davies transitioned from a forward on the other side of the Atlantic to a marauding left-back with Bayern Munich.
Only a handful of players in world football can keep up with Davies. He’s an intimidating sight for opposing full backs when making those flying runs down the flank.
Davies is bound to be a favourite in the Bundesliga for years to come with his goal contributions from defence.
Kevin Schade – 36.37 km/h
Freiburg had a good 2021-22 campaign. Kevin Schade might not have grabbed the headlines, but he had a role to play in their success, earning seven starts and regularly being used as a substitute.
Almost exclusively operating from the right-hand side, Schade’s pace was a nuisance for defences late in games, and in his short senior career he has made an impression with his work rate and finishing ability.
He’s scoring 0.43 non-penalty goals per 90 over the last 365 days.
Sheraldo Becker – 36.39 km/h
A 22-game starter for Union Berlin in a remarkable campaign where they finished fifth, Sheraldo Becker found the net four times and registered six assists.
He’s most often been used down the middle, with his pace proving a nightmare to defend against on the counter.
Becker’s highlight of the campaign was a goal and assist in the penultimate match of the season against Union’s close rivals, Freiburg.
Jeremiah St Juste – 36.63 km/h
A favourite on FIFA 22 when the game was released, Jeremiah St Juste was officially the Bundesliga’s fastest player in the 2021-22 season.
Injury setbacks held him to just eight league appearances, but that wasn’t enough to put teams off.
Sporting fought off interest from Premier League clubs as well as Borussia Dortmund to secure St Juste’s signature – he will join the Portuguese club for the 2022-23 campaign.
