Yamal 5th 

©TM/IMAGO

Goals win games of football and as such goal scorers will always be the most important and often highest-paid players on any given football pitch. However, the beautiful game is often more complicated than games being decided by the team with the best striker or centre forward. And, especially in recent decades, the weight of expectation at the highest level of the game has shifted away from the man in the box waiting for the perfect cross or through ball and on to the playmaker threading such a pass through a crowded field of expert defenders. 

Indeed, only two of the top 10 most valuable players in the world are out-and-out goalscorers, while five would consider themselves as wingers first and foremost and the remaining three are unquestionably attacking midfielders. In each case, all 10 world class players are more than capable of scoring goals, but most of them are primarily on the pitch to create chances for themselves and their teammates in equal measure. In no uncertain terms, playmakers are now the most important players at many of Europe’s biggest clubs. So which players have bagged the most assists this season? 

Which players have the most assists in European football this season? 

To no great surprise, many of the players at the top of the list are well-known forwards that can score and assist in equal measure. For example, the player with the most assists in the top 10 leagues and their accompanying national and international cups is none other than Liverpool right winger Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian star has so far bagged 22 assists in 43 games for the Anfield club across all competitions and sits top with two more assists than the next best playmaker in Europe this season.

That honour goes to Barcelona’s own wing wizard Raphinha. The Brazilian talent has been nothing short of a revelation for Hansi Flick’s team this season and alongside his dozens of goals, the 28-year-old forward has also picked up an impressive 20 goals in all competitions since August. He sits two assists above Lyon’s Rayan Cherki and Galatasaray star Dries Mertens, who are both level with one another with 18 assists each. However, the French U21s star has reached that level of assists in eight fewer games than his Belgian counterpart.  

In fifth place is another Barcelona star in the form of Lamine Yamal, who continues to go from strength to strength with the Catalan club having bagged 17 assists in 38 games this season. He sits just above no less than four players that all sit on 15 assists each. Feyenoord winger Igor Paixão technically sits above his counterparts having achieved that many assists in just 38 games, followed by Sporting winger Trincão (42 games), Dušan Tadić (43 games) of Fenerbahce and then Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes (44 games). New Manchester City signing Omar Marmoush rounds up the top 10 with 14 goals in 36 games for his new side and former club Eintracht Frankfurt this season.