Arsenal Star Kai Havertz Leads Jurgen Klopp’s Germany Striker Rankings

Jurgen Klopp has placed Kai Havertz at the top of his striker hierarchy for Germany, with Eintracht Frankfurt forward Younes Ebnoutalib surprisingly ranking second, according to Bild.

The newspaper reports that it has obtained the national team's internal ranking of forwards, drawn up four matches into Klopp's tenure as head coach.

Klopp particularly values Havertz's intelligence, movement and experience at the highest level. The Arsenal forward is included in Germany's 24-man squad for their final Nations League fixtures of the year against Serbia on 13 November and the Netherlands on 16 November.

Ebnoutalib occupies second place despite failing to make a major impression in his first appearances for the national team. His impressive performances for Frankfurt have reportedly pushed him ahead of several more established forwards.

The 23-year-old made his Germany debut on 24 September, coming on for the injured Havertz after 30 minutes in a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands. Klopp praised his performance afterwards, saying he had done brilliantly.

Ebnoutalib has since continued his rise with six Bundesliga goals this season. He announced himself with a hat-trick in Frankfurt's 3-3 draw with Union Berlin on the opening day of the campaign. Just over a year ago, he was playing in Germany's fourth division for FC Gießen.

Niclas Fullkrug completes the top three. The 33-year-old has returned to the Germany squad for the first time since September 2025 after missing Klopp's first selection.

Fullkrug has scored nine goals in nine Bundesliga appearances for Werder Bremen, putting him at the top of the league's scoring charts. He has also found the net three times in Bremen's two DFB-Pokal matches.

The striker is on loan from West Ham United until 30 June 2027 and has 14 goals in 24 appearances for Germany.

Klopp previously raised concerns about Füllkrug's age when discussing Germany's long-term squad planning. However, he has since highlighted the striker's incredible influence on Bremen's play, stressing that current performances rather than age will determine his selection decisions.

Jonathan Burkardt, Nick Woltemade and Deniz Undav occupy the remaining positions in the reported rankings, in fourth, fifth and sixth place respectively. None of the three has made the current squad.

Burkardt remains on the standby list and would reportedly be first in line for a call-up if Havertz, Ebnoutalib or Fullkrug suffers an injury. The forward recently scored twice in a 2-2 draw with Paderborn, ending a run of four league matches without a goal.

Woltemade, meanwhile, has been left out for the first time since making his international debut in June 2025. Klopp reportedly believes the forward currently lacks sufficient goal threat.

Undav completes the ranking following a drop in form compared with last season. Klopp told the Stuttgart captain in September that his omission was not permanent and that he needed to regain full fitness.

However, the biggest surprise in Klopp's reported rankings is Ebnoutalib's position: the Frankfurt striker has climbed to second place despite making his Germany debut only in September and playing in the fourth division just over a year ago.