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Lionel Messi. Cristiano Ronaldo. Luis Suarez.

Three of the biggest names in world football, each of them multi-billion pound assets who would grace any side on the planet.

They have won the last 10 Ballon d'Ors between them, as well as the last eight La Liga golden boots. The last player to buck that trend was Diego Forlan in 2008/09.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, they are again the three front-runners for the Trofeo Pichichi this season. Messi has scored 25 league goals so far, Ronaldo 22 and Suarez 21.

And then there's Cristhian Stuani.

It remains a very real possibility that the ex- Boro forward will crash Spain's goalscoring party this season.

After an incredible 17-goal haul for new club Girona, he sits level with Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann in the goalscoring charts, a player linked with a £90m+ move to Manchester United last summer.

Stuani has already scored more goals for his new club than he did in two seasons combined at Boro.

That is no doubt due to his regular starting berth up front rather than out on the right, where he played the majority of his games in England.

As a result, the Uruguay international's record on Teesside made for modest reading - 16 goals in 66 appearances.

There were a few notable strikes during that spell. His vital opener in the final day promotion showdown with Brighton in May 2016 has gone down in Teesside folklore. His brace at Sunderland in the Premier League last season won't be forgotten anytime soon.

Yet given the player's exploits in Spain this season, bagging another brace at the Santiago Bernabeu in Girona's 6-3 defeat at Real Madrid at the weekend, it's hard not to ask a few questions.

Did Boro ever get the best out of Stuani? If not, why not?

Stuani, who is nailed-on to be part of Uruguay's World Cup squad this summer, admits his best-ever goalscoring campaign has filled him with satisfaction.

To be hanging on the coattails of the world's biggest stars is something beyond his wildest dreams.

"Being there in the scorers' table, fighting with these monsters, it fills me with satisfaction," Stuani told Uruguayan site Futbol.

"It makes me want to continue being there and fighting. I hope in the remaining days (of the season) to make more goals.

"I am very happy, I know the meaning that it has, and it has given me a lot of courage because it is very difficult.

"The team is having a great season and I'm scoring a lot of goals and it comforts me a lot. I have to continue working like this, in the same way. I am very proud.

"To score home and away goals against Real Madrid, for me, will be among the best memories of my career because I know how difficult it is."

It's perhaps no surprise that Stuani's spell-binding form for new boys Girona has alerted several potential suitors. Earlier this week, Sevilla and Real Betis were both linked with big-money summer moves for the forward.

A fee of €10m has already been mooted in Spain, likely to represent a healthy profit for Girona who presumably lured Stuani away from Teesside for a far cheaper price.

A 'privacy clause' was agreed between Boro and Girona in the summer to prevent the Stuani fee from being made public. What has been made very public is the player's ability to find the net.

So what's been the secret behind Stuani's clinical season, and did Boro miss a trick by not deploying the player as a central striker in England?

We caught up with Andrew Gaffney , Spanish football expert for Yahoo Sport, to find out more.

Just how surprising have Stuani's displays been?

"As someone who barely saw him at Middlesbrough, I wasn’t expecting a great deal from Stuani.

"On paper it looked like the classic, newly-promoted team signing: nothing out of the ordinary and, if it didn’t work out, the club wouldn’t be saddled with a player on high wages..

"Although to be fair to Stuani his record at Espanyol before moving to England wasn’t bad at all.

"I don’t think even the most optimistic person - and I include myself in this - expected him to hit 17 goals in 24 matches though."

What has Stuani done well this season?

"He’s a real handful for defenders. Maybe his time in England has helped him develop the physical side of the game because he’s constantly offering an outlet to his teammates.

"His movement in the box seems to catch out a lot of defenders and his aerial threat is there for all to see.

"He’s the top scorer in Europe’s top five leagues when it comes to headers (he has nine headed goals)."

Have Girona bagged one of the signings of the season in La Liga?

"Definitely. The fee Girona paid hasn’t been disclosed as far as I’m aware but it’s likely to be less than €1m, which is extremely cheap as his goals are likely to keep them in La Liga for at least another season.

"He’s responsible for nearly 40% of Girona’s goals. What sets apart the mid-table teams and the relegation candidates is their ability to score goals.

"In that sense, Stuani is absolutely priceless."

Has this season proved he is more suited to a central role?

"It’s easy to say that with hindsight but it’s worth remembering how different the two countries are when it comes to football.

"In England it’s a lot more back and forth with players not having a great deal of time on the ball. Whereas in La Liga, as there’s a greater focus on the technical side, it’s less frenetic.

"Could Stuani have succeeded in England if he was deployed as a striker? Maybe, but he would’ve still needed time to settle and that’s another thing most new players aren’t afforded.

"The pressure on Stuani at Girona is less than that at Middlesbrough. But it appears the pace of the Spanish league is a better fit for him."

Will he be in-demand this summer?

"Speculation about his future is natural after you see the season Stuani’s having. I think he offers a certain reliability, a Plan B, most bigger sides don’t tend to have.

"There will be a lot of interest but I expect Girona to do everything in their power to keep him at the club.

"After his experience in England perhaps Stuani will be less keen on a move."

What kind of price would be on Stuani's head if Girona did sell?

"It’s hard to tell because despite his fine record this season, Stuani is 31. There isn’t a great deal of resale value there should it not work out as planned.

"There’s been talk of Real Betis being open to spending €10m to bring Stuani in to replace their current ‘Plan B’ Ruben Castro.

"I would expect Girona to demand something around that mark as proven goalscorers are hard to come by."