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The Premier League has never been shy of creative players. Time and again, the league has witnessed fine playmaking with footballers finding innovative ways of creating goals.
Creating consistently is tricky, especially in the English top-flight. We have seen how the likes of Bruno Fernandes have struggled in the ongoing campaign despite doing superbly well in the previous two seasons.
Over time, teams have only got stronger with their defensive tactics and made it more difficult for the opposition to create goals. Despite this, few footballers have managed to use their creativity and vision to assist their teammates at regular intervals.
Plenty of top players have made a number of assists in the Premier League. That being said, there have been players who have regularly been the providers as compared to others. Here, we take a look at the footballers with the best minutes per assist ratio in England's top division.
Note: Only players with a minimum of 15 league assists are considered
#5 Dimitri Payet (227 minutes)
Not many expected Dimitri Payet to become as big a sensation as he was when he joined West Ham United in the 2015-16 season. The Frenchman was signed from Marseille to help the Hammers in the attack.
With his amazing creativity and fabulous set-piece-taking abilities, Payet was a delight to watch. The French midfielder played 48 league matches with the Hammers, registering 18 assists.
Having played 4079 minutes of football in the Premier League, Payet registered an assist after every 227 minutes.
With 12 assists in his debut season for West Ham United, he registered the third-highest assists in the league. Payet has been back with Marseille since the 2016-17 season and has been heavily involved in goal contributions for the French club.
#4 Nani (226 mins)
Nani was one of the most entertaining forwards when he played for Manchester United. The Portuguese spent eight seasons with the Red Devils, winning the Premier League four times.
His scintillating dribbling combined with his superb creativity made him a valuable asset on the pitch. Nani has 43 assists to his name in the 147 league matches he played for United.
Having played 9704 minutes of top-tier English football, Nani registered an assist after every 226 minutes.
The Portuguese forward registered 14 assists in the 2010-11 season, the most by any player that campaign.
#3 Leroy Sane (217 mins)
Pep Guardiola has made a number of signings ever since taking over as Manchester City's manager in the 2016-17 season. Leroy Sane was one of the finest players the Spaniard signed in his debut season for City.
The German forward, with his incredible pace, sharp dribbling and fine creativity, was an important player for the Cityzens. Sane has won the Premier League twice, scoring 25 goals and registering 28 assists in 90 appearances.
Having played 6079 minutes of English football, Sane registered an assist after every 217 minutes.
With an assist per 90 minutes ratio of 0.56 and 0.48 in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, no player registered an assist more frequently than Leroy Sane did.
#2 Jose Antonio Reyes (214 minutes)
Not many of the current generation of fans are aware of how good Jose Antonio Reyes was for Arsenal. The Spaniard had a stunning left foot and was a lethal threat in front of goal.
He could hit the football pretty well, with the utmost force and accuracy. Reyes spent three seasons with Arsenal, scoring 16 times and registering 21 assists in 69 appearances.
Reyes won the Premier League once with the Gunners and averages an assist after every 214 minutes. The Spanish forward unfortunately passed away in 2019 after being involved in a car crash.
#1 Kevin De Bruyne (186 minutes)
Very few superlatives can do justice to Kevin De Bruyne's creative abilities on the pitch. The Belgian playmaker has been a stellar player for Manchester City ever since he signed for them in the 2015-16 season.
De Bruyne has got terrific vision and an amazing range of passes at his disposal. He has been brutal in attack for the Cityzens, creating goals at will. In his 209 league appearances, the Belgian midfielder has registered 85 assists so far.
Having helped City win three Premier League titles, De Bruyne is on course to win his fourth at the end of the ongoing season.
So far, the 30-year-old has averaged an assist every 186 minutes with no other player to compete against him strongly in this department.
