Martijn Kaars

Key strength: Link-up play

Target man

Deep in the Bundesliga survival trenches, FC St. Pauli languish in 17th place with relegation breathing down their necks. Their LDLLD form tells a story of a club desperately scrambling for points. Yet amid the chaos, Dutch marksman Martijn Kaars offers something increasingly precious: certainty. The 26-year-old centre-forward has transformed limited opportunities into maximum impact, netting 7 goals and 1 assist from just 1,598 minutes across 29 appearances. That's a clinical strike every 228 minutes—a ratio that shames many starting forwards in this league. Wearing the number 19 shirt with a €4 million valuation, Kaars operates as St. Pauli's ice-veined executioner. While creative engines Hákon Arnar Haraldsson and Danel Sinani craft the openings, Kaars supplies the killer instinct. His target-man style and exceptional link-up play make him the focal point of their attack. His discipline is remarkable too—just one yellow card in a high-pressure relegation campaign speaks to his composure when it matters most. In a squad battling for Bundesliga survival, Kaars embodies the efficiency required when margins are razor-thin. St. Pauli's fate may ultimately depend on whether their Dutch sharpshooter can keep converting half-chances into full points.