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Playmaking requires a unique presence of mind and brilliant skills to execute plays in a match situation. Creating goals is an art in itself. It demands the player to be ahead of the opposition and at the same time have the right sync with his teammates.
The game has seen some amazing playmakers in the past and it is the presence of such players that makes the game more entertaining. The likes of Dennis Bergkamp, Mesut Ozil, David Silva, Andres Iniesta and many others have made creating goals look so crafty.
The 2021-22 season saw goals galore in Europe's top five leagues. Despite competitiveness and different challenges in modern football, players have shone by creating goals for their respective teams time and again.
There have been some world-class playmaking performances in the last season. Without further ado, let's take a look at the players who averaged the best assists per 90 minutes in the 2021-22 campaign.
Note: Europe's top five leagues are considered
#5 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
Kylian Mbappe's transfer saga has finally come to an end after the Frenchman penned a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain this summer. The 23-year-old rejected Real Madrid to stay with the French club.
It is a massive boost for Paris Saint-Germain given how wonderful Mbappe has been for them last season. The French forward has not only been effective with his goal-scoring but has also been quite an asset when it comes to creating goals.
The 2021-22 season saw Mbappe register 18 assists in 35 Ligue 1 appearances, averaging 0.54 assists after every 90 minutes. He ended the campaign with the most goals (28) and assists in the league.
#4 Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain)
Last season posed many surprises and Lionel Messi joining Paris Saint-Germain was one of them. The former Barcelona superstar, against all odds, joined the French club last summer.
It took Messi some time to settle in Paris but once he did, he wasted no time in showing off his brilliance. The Argentine was more of a playmaker last season as he went on to register 14 assists in the 2021-22 campaign.
He ended up as the player with the second-most assists in Ligue 1, behind teammate Kylian Mbappe. Messi's 14 assists came in just 24 starts, averaging 0.59 assists per 90 minutes.
#3 Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
Paul Pogba has always been surrounded by controversies and his time at Manchester United was no different. Since joining the club from Juventus for a second spell in the 2016-17 season, the Frenchman had an inconsistent run with the Red Devils.
With his wonderful passing and terrific vision, the box-to-box midfielder is capable of hurting any opposition. Last season, despite struggling with injuries, Pogba went on to register nine assists in the Premier League.
The French midfielder managed to achieve so in just 20 appearances, averaging 0.60 assists per 90 minutes. Pogba is set to become a free agent after his contract with Manchester United expires this summer. He is currently close to returning to Juventus for a second spell (Source: ESPN).
#2 Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
There are very few players in modern football who have stayed loyal to a single club and Thomas Muller is one of them. The German attacker has been at Bayern Munich for 14 seasons now and is still going strong.
Muller has played an important role in helping the Bavarian club win the Bundesliga 11 times in the last 14 campaigns. Last season, the 32-year-old attacker was instrumental in helping Bayern win the league, having registered 18 assists in 32 league appearances.
No player registered more assists in the Bundesliga last season than Thomas Muller. The German playmaker averaged 0.63 assists per 90 minutes in the 2021-22 campaign.
#1 Ousmane Dembele 0.85
It's safe to say that Ousmane Dembele's move to Barcelona hasn't worked out the best for him. The French forward signed for the Catalan club in the 2017-18 season from Borussia Dortmund. He has contributed 32 goals and 34 assists in 149 matches in his injury plagued spell at Camp Nou.
A good part of his Barcelona career has seen him sidelined with injuries. Dembele's cause hasn't been helped by frequent changes in management and his own inconsistency. After struggling in the first half of last season, the Frenchman made a strong comeback in the second half.
The 25-year-old registered 13 assists in La Liga in the 2021-22 campaign in just 15 starts. Dembele averaged 0.83 assists per 90 minutes, the best assist ratio per 90 minutes in the league and in Europe's top five leagues.
