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The 2021-22 football season has come to a conclusion all over Europe with the conclusion of the UEFA Champions League on May 28. Team and individual awards have been handed out in different leagues to those deserving of the honours. These days, creators are celebrated almost as much as goalscorers in recognition of their input into their teams' success.
Most of the world's best playmakers play their football for Europe's top sides, with many teams having multiple creative masterminds. Plenty of plaudits and recognition have been given to the top goalscorers in Europe and rightly so. However, many do not know who the continent's assist kings are.
Here at Sportskeeda, we have a list of Europe's most potent creators. Without further ado, here is a list of the five players with the most assists in Europe's top five leagues in 2021-22.
#5 Domenico Berardi (13 assists)
Italian winger Domenico Berardi has consistently been one of Serie A's top performers for a number of years. His contributions and performances in the league have seen him become a regular with Italy's national team. The 27-year-old led Serie A in assists in the 2021-22 season with 13 assists to his name.
The Sassuolo star spread his assists throughout the domestic season, assisting at least once every month of the season except in March 2022. His contribution to the team was not limited to his assists alone as he contributed 15 goals in the league too. Berardi is one of Serie A's bonafide stars as he directly contributed almost half of his side's 64 goals scored in 2021-22.
Berardi featured for Sassuolo 33 times in Serie A in the 2021-22 season as the side finished the season in 11th place. Sassuolo only won one of the five league matches that Berardi did not play in for them in Serie A.
#4 Lionel Messi (14 assists)
By his lofty standards, Lionel Messi had a debut season to forget with Paris Saint-Germain. The Argentine star struggled to cope with the change that ensued after he left FC Barcelona for Paris last summer. Despite his struggles at the club, he managed a decent 14 assists for Paris Saint-Germain as they reclaimed the Ligue 1 title.
After arriving in Paris, it was expected that Messi would light up the French league alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. However, the 34-year-old did not hit the ground running for the longest time.
He scored his first league goal of the season after six matches and got his first assist in the next game. He had to wait until November for his first assist of the season. However, he managed to finish second on the league's assist charts behind Mbappe, who had 17 assists. He also scored six goals for the side in the league.
Messi played only 26 times for his club in Ligue 1 in 2021-22 and averaged an assist in every two matches. His best performances from an assist viewpoint came against Saint-Etienne and Clermont Foot in November and April, respectively. He recorded a hat-trick of assists both times.
#3 Ousmane Dembele (13 assists)
French winger Ousmane Dembele perfectly embodied the revival that Barcelona underwent after the arrival of Xavi as their manager. Perpetually injured, unreliable and unavailable to play under Ronald Koeman, few could have foreseen how his season would change in a matter of months. The Frenchman contributed 13 assists for Barcelona in La Liga.
Dembele recorded 13 assists for the side in just 21 appearances in the league in 2021-22. The 25-year-old recorded only two assists in the first half of the season, with both coming in December. His season received a major boost after Xavi's appointment and he recorded 11 assists in his last 14 appearances.
His best performance of the season was arguably in El Clasico in March, where he contributed two assists in a 4-0 win for Barcelona.
Dembele could reportedly represent a different club in the 2022-23 season with his contract with Barcelona expiring this summer (via Barca Universal). The winger has shown all of Europe what he is capable of with his performance this season.
#2 Kylian Mbappe (17 assists)
Kylian Mbappe has been in the news for months over interest from Real Madrid but the Frenchman did not allow all the speculation to affect his season. The 23-year-old forward enjoyed playing with some of the best players in the world and recorded 17 assists, as a result.
Mbappe contributed 17 assists for Paris Saint-Germain in 35 Ligue 1 appearances for the club. He was the league's assist leader as well as the highest goal scorer with 28 goals too. The French star helped his side reclaim their Ligue 1 title from Lille.
Mbappe turned down a move to Real Madrid as he preferred to continue playing for PSG. He signed a new three-year deal with the club at the end of the 2021-22 season.
#1 Thomas Muller (18 assists)
German star Thomas Muller has been one of Europe's most consistent creators over the last couple of years. This may be partly due to him playing alongside one of the world's deadliest strikers at Bayern Munich in Robert Lewandowski. The 32-year-old contributed 18 assists in the Bundesliga in the 2021-22 season.
Muller also contributed eight goals for the side in 32 appearances in the league as they claimed a 10th consecutive league title.
Muller has enjoyed a trophy-laden career so far, playing an important role each time. His unique skillset makes him an asset to any team, particularly this Bayern Munich side.
