Chelsea once nearly signed the player with more assists in 2024 than Salah

It’s easy to focus on goals when assessing the top players in the modern game, but which individuals have the most assists across Europe in 2024?

Another 12 months of fascinating football is almost over, with plenty of drama taking place domestically, in Europe and on the international stage.

Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres has scored the most goals in Europe in 2024 to date, but who have been the leading assist-makers across Europe’s top divisions? With the help of data from Transfermarkt, here are the top 17…

17

Angel Di Maria (Benfica)

18 assists

He may be 36, but Angel Di Maria is still performing at the top level, with the Argentinian having a stellar year back at Benfica

following his return in the summer of 2023.

2024 saw him set a total of 18 assists in all competitions, and it arguably should have been a lot more, with only six coming in the 2024/25 season, but a superb start to the calendar year last time out saw Di Maria shine for the Primeira Liga runners-up.

16

Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd)

18 assists

Bruno Fernandes has his critics at times, perhaps due to losing possession too often, but the risk he takes with the ball allows him to create plenty of chances, too.

For that reason, it’s no huge surprise to see the Manchester United captain on this list, with the Portuguese assisting on 18 occasions and showing further signs of improvement under new manager Ruben Amorim.

15

Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)

18 assists

One of the most prodigiously gifted young footballers on the planet, Lamine Yamal’s rise this year has been remarkable, with the 17-year-old excelling for Barcelona and Spain.

While the winger has scored some great goals in the past 12 months, his passing has also stood out, not least his brilliance with the outside of his gifted left foot. 18 assists in 47 appearances is an excellent return for any attacking player, let alone one so young.

14

Joel Bopesu (Zalgiris)

18 assists

Zalgiris defender Joel Bopesu finished joint-top of the Lithuanian league’s assists charts, with his exploits in the national cup and this year’s Conference League qualifiers putting him on a par with Europe’s best.

A champion with Zalgiris, who won the annual championship which finished in November, Bopesu notched 14 in the league campaign alone, providing one of the continent’s most potent threats from left-back.

13

Omar Marmoush (Eintracht Frankfurt)

18 assists

Omar Marmoush has been linked with plenty of top clubs in recent months, and given the level of his performances for Eintracht Frankfurt, it’s not difficult to see why he is such a wanted man.

The Egyptian is yet another with 18 assists in total, with seven of those coming in 15 Bundesliga appearances this season, and he is also a goalscoring machine for good measure, finding the net 13 times in the league in 2024/25 to date.

12

Oscar Gloukh (RB Salzburg)

18 assists

Tied on the same number of goals and assists as Marmoush is Israeli forward Oscar Gloukh, who continues to stand out as one of the most influential creative forces in the Austrian Bundesliga, providing plenty of quality in attacking areas for RB Salzburg.

The talented 20-year-old also had 18 assists to his name in 2024, averaging 0.45 per match, which is an impressive ratio.

11

Vladimir Ambros (Petrocub)

18 assists

Squeezing into 2024’s top assists chart is Petrocub forward Vladimir Ambros, whose assist in the final round of the Conference League’s league phase helped break Hearts’ hearts as both clubs crashed out.

Ambros had a particularly impressive end to the previous campaign, grabbing six league assists and five more in the Moldovan Cup as Petrocub secured a domestic double.

10

Jorginho (FC Differdange 03)

18 assists

Like Marmoush, Jorginho is another player who has been ruthless in front of goal this year, but the creative side of his game has also shone through, ensuring he is alongside some illustrious company in the assist stakes.

The Differdange 03 forward has bagged 18 assists in 2024 so far, coming from a total of 35 appearances for the Luxembourg-based side.

9

Zlatko Tripic (Viking)

18 assists

Zlatko Tripic is one of the lesser-known players on this list, but he has enjoyed a superb 2024 in his own right, catching the eye for Norwegian outfit Viking.

A tally of 18 assists in just 29 games is better than those already mentioned, at a superb ratio of one every 0.62 matches. Judging by the video above, the past year has been no flash in the pan – and at 32 years of age, he appears to be ageing like a fine wine.

8

Trincao (Sporting CP)

19 assists

Viktor Gyokeres may have been the star man for Sporting CP last year, both in a scoring and creative sense, but teammate Trincao has been just as productive when it comes to setting up goals.

The 24-year-old had 19 assists to his name in 2024, with his quality from out wide playing a big part in his side’s success over the past 12 months or so as Sporting strolled to domestic glory.

7

Dusan Tadic (Fenerbahce)

19 assists

At 36, Dusan Tadic may not quite be the force he once was during his Ajax days, and it’s fair to say that he is still going strong as the creative hub of his Fenerbahce side.

The Serbian has 6 assists in 14 Turkish Super Lig starts this season, suggesting his influence for the Turkish giants is showing no sign of fading any time soon.

6

Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)

19 assists

Vinicius Junior’s status as one of the best players in the world is undeniable, with some feeling he deserved to win the Ballon d’Or earlier this year.

An attacking sensation who can score and create at will from his left-sided role, the Brazilian superstar fell just short of 20 assists as the year came to a close, with 2024 seeing his Real Madrid side win yet another Champions League crown.

5

Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

19 assists

The performances of Kevin De Bruyne may have been lacking at Manchester City recently, with signs of him being past his absolute peak, but the fact that he makes the cut sums up his brilliance.

The Belgian recorded 19 assists in 2024, and if Pep Guardiola’s side are to have any chance of getting back into the Premier League race, he will have to return to his very best.

4

Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting CP)

20 assists

Having comfortably become Europe’s top goalscorer across 2024, the past year has seen Viktor Gyokeres’ stock rise further, potentially ahead of a big-money move away from Sporting at the end of the season.

However, the Swede is far from just a goalscorer, as his assist tally of 20 highlights, and he has the potential to be one of the best attacking players in world football for the next four or five years.

3

Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen)

21 assists

The only player to register exactly 21 assists across Europe in 2024 is Alejandro Grimaldo, who was a key man during a memorable year for Bayer Leverkusen, helping them to Bundesliga title glory.

The 29-year-old has provided endless quality from his left wing-back role for Xabi Alonso’s side, producing a level of creative quality that his manager would have been proud of during his playing days.

2

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

23 assists

Still one of the most devastating forwards in world football, Mohamed Salah had another stunning year, particularly since August, where his performances have helped inspire Liverpool to the top of the Premier League table.

While the Egyptian icon is renowned mostly for his relentlessness in front of goal, the creative side of his game is also world-class, with 13 assists recorded in 18 league outings this season.

On this form, Salah has to be in Ballon d’Or contention – he has 30 goal involvements in the Premier League alone and has Liverpool on course for a quadruple as 2025 gets underway.

1

Dries Mertens (Galatasaray)

27 assists

Incredibly, 37-year-old Dries Mertens has registered the most assists in Europe throughout 2024, chipping in with a stunning total of 27.

The Belgian, who once nearly signed for Chelsea back in 2020, has defied time and continued to be a fantastic attacking player at Galatasaray, with a total of eight assists arriving in the Super Lig and Europa League so far this season.

Few would have expected him to be top of the list at the beginning of the year.