Some strikers regard the word "stress" as synonymous with their specialisation but Klaas-Jan Huntelaar sees no need for such introspection, let alone the superstition and psychological ploys that so often accompany it.

Bar a couple of brief, slightly unsatisfactory, spells with Real Madrid and Milan, the Schalke and Holland centre-forward has rarely had to suffer for an art he refuses to invest with the usual mystique.

"Scoring goals is like riding a bike," says this most no-nonsense of Dutchmen. "You never forget." Naturally there have been the odd drought but, for much of his career, beating goalkeepers has been almost as regular a part of the 29-year-old's routine as brushing his teeth.

Envious rivals can only admire "The Hunter's" technical gifts. Supremely comfortable scoring with his head as well as either foot, something which means defenders cannot force him on to his "wrong" side, he aims to blemish Arsenal's impressive Champions League record at the Emirates when Schalke visit north London on Wednesday.

At 6ft 1in Huntelaar cuts an imposing figure but his scoring record alone is sufficiently formidable to mess with defenders' minds. Not content with 34 goals in 59 international outings for the Oranje, he finished Bundesliga top scorer last season, netting 29 times in 34 League appearances. In all competitions, Huntelaar registered an astounding 48 goals in 47 games for Schalke during the 2011-12 campaign.

Small wonder Louis van Gaal, the Holland coach, describes his country's latest successor to Marco van Basten and Ruud van Nistelrooy in uncharacteristically gushing terms. "In the penalty area, Klaas is the best player in the world bar none," says Van Gaal.

Bernd Schuster, who missed out on managing the former PSV Eindhoven, Heerenveen and Ajax striker at Madrid by a matter of months seems inclined to agree. "He looks like he was cloned from Marco van Basten," says the former Germany international. "The way Huntelaar moves, shoots with both legs and his powerful headers remind me of Van Basten's all-round ability." Admittedly Huntelaar may lack his compatriot Robin van Persie's positional versatility, but orthodox centre-forwards rarely prove as complete, or buy into the "team ethos" as selflessly as Huntelaar.

The Schalke midfielder Lewis Holtby emphasises his team-mate's extraordinary ability to deploy superior vision and positional sense before ruthlessly exploiting the tiniest chink in opposition armour. Yet if Huntelaar's brain and body are working overtime the overall impression is that he operates on instinct alone.

"I knew the Dutch know the holes in their cheese," says Holtby. "But Klaas finds holes in every opposition defence. I think you could behead Klaas and he'd still score goals."

While English FA officials lament the fact that Holtby, the son of a Falklands war veteran from Liverpool and a German mother, has abandoned his boyhood dream of playing for England and now possesses two senior Germany caps, certain Premier League clubs are reportedly keen on "repatriating" him.

Like Holtby, Huntelaar is out of contract at Schalke next summer, and Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers is rumoured to be keen on the idea of a prospective double deal. He is far from alone. Although Schalke remain anxious to re-negotiate the contract of the striker they rescued from bench-warming duties at Milan in exchange for £14m two years ago, they may struggle to keep their prize asset.

If a combination of politics, personalities and tactical fashion conspired against Huntelaar in Milan and Madrid – although he did manage eight La Liga goals in 20 appearances during half a season in Spain – the only factor possibly deterring England's leading lights from pursuing him is age. He will, after all, turn 30 next August. In striker years that represents late middle age and spells little or no sell-on value.

Huntelaar's retort is that he was a late developer – despite playing in every other position including goalkeeper he did not operate as a striker until he was 14 – and is still to reach his peak.

That deceptively slow-burn beginning saw Guus Hiddink, his manager at PSV, question the young Huntelaar's lack of obvious pace before repeatedly overlooking his goal threat. Arsène Wenger is unlikely to prove similarly blind on Wednesday.