Goals get all the glory, but assists make the goal. For my dollar, sign me a player with more assists than goals and I’m a happy man. This begs the question: who from the has the most assists over the past three seasons?
To help me answer this, I turned to Transfermarkt. Since I wasn’t looking for anomalies, I set three criteria: 1) they had to play in one of the top Five European leagues, 2) they needed to record at minimum 8 assists in one of these seasons, 3) only domestic league games were considered. I then totaled their assist tallies and vóila.
So with gratitude to Transfermarkt, here are your winners.
1. Mohamed Salah
Position: Winger
Matches: 108
Assists: 40
Goals: 66
Yep. 106 contributions in 108 matches. That’s simply otherworldly. Nobody else in the Top 5 comes close (though I suspect some players in less competitive leagues might).
2. Bukayo Saka
Position: Winger
Matches: 98
Assists: 35
Goals: 36
How much do Arsenal miss Saka when he’s out? Just look at those stats to see. He’s such a critical part of their offensive machine.
3. Rafael Leão
Position: Winger
Matches: 103
Assists: 30
Goals: 32
He’s 26, tall (6’2″) and dribbles like a wrecking ball. The Portuguese native is a regular for the national team as well.
4. Julian Brandt
Position: Attacking Midfield
Matches: 94
Assists: 30
Goals: 21
One of two Borussia Dortmund players to make this list.
5. Michael Olise
Position: Winger
Matches: 71
Assists: 29
Goals: 24
His departure from Crystal Palace surprised no one. But his most ardent supporters had to be a little shocked at how quickly he adapted and fit into Bayern’s attack last season.
6. Pascal Groß
Position: Central Midfield
Matches: 103
Assists: 29
Goals: 13
He doesn’t score much, but distributes beautifully and is a staunch defensive force as well.
7. Morgan Gibbs-White
Position: Attacking Midfield
Matches: 108
Assists: 28
Goals: 17
I was surprised by Gibbs-White’s appearance in this list. But that helps explain why Forest fought so hard to keep him during this recent transfer window. One more big season and he’s sure to be a flight risk.
8. Kevin De Bruyne
Position: Attacking Midfield
Matches: 50
Assists: 28
Goals: 15
Surprised to see De Bruyne this low? I was. Then I saw the number of games he played over three seasons and my appreciation increased exponentially. That’s 42 contributions in 50 games. Wow.
9. Bruno Fernandes
Position: Attacking Midfield
Matches: 108
Assists: 27
Goals: 26
Every time I hear folks complain about Bruno, I just want to slap them with these stats. Without him, the Red Devils could be playing in the Championship.
10. Marvin Ducksch
Position: Center-Forward
Matches: 99
Assists: 27
Goals: 32
Marvin’s not only the lone center-forward on this list, he’s also the only player who moved down a division this season. In a 2024-25 season cut short by injury, Bremen sold him to Birmingham City in the EFL Championship. Go figure.
