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On paper at least PSG have managed to assemble one of the strongest squads in Europe this summer. Undoubtedly, it feels like the best squad they have ever had. With the arrival of Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnaruma and Achraf Hakimi, things look extremely exciting for the club.
Certainly in Ligue 1, it seems like PSG will be able to recover from last year's title slip to Lille. The Parisians are currently sitting 10 points clear of second-placed Rennes.
It will be interesting to see if the new faces can combine with former pillars like Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Marquinhos and Angel Di Maria to lead a Champions League charge.
PSG superstars have coordinated well with each other on the field over the years
With Messi now a part of the PSG squad, the perception of how much he contributes to their success is bound to belittle the efforts of others. He is a great playmaker and his arrival will mean the French club will have plenty to finish with in front of goal.
It should be noted that they still have their top providers of goals who have regularly been setting up finishing chances for fellow team-mates.
So before PSG become all about Messi, it's fair to take a look at those who have been contributing to this side to the best of their capabilities. Here are the five current PSG players with the most assists for the club:
#5 Julian Draxler - 41 assists
Despite playing for one of the biggest clubs in football, Julian Draxler has fallen off the radar. At 28, he has had chances to revive his career but staying put at PSG hasn't helped him re-establish himself as the star he was on arrival. The German international hasn't had a prolific season as such in France but he's been decent.
In his 188 appearances for the French giants, Draxler has managed 41 assists. The 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons were his most successful ones in a PSG shirt, where he managed 15 and 17 goals contributions respectively.
Sometimes due to injury and sometimes due to the sheer quality around him, Draxler hasn't been a consistent name in the starting line-up. In the past two years, he has only started 19 games from a possible 68.
Recently, Draxler was called up to the German National squad by Hansi Flick for World Cup Qualifiers earlier this month. However, due to an injury, the PSG attacker missed the opportunity to make a return to the national side after last playing in 2020.
#4 Neymar Jr. - 55 assists
From being the bossman at PSG, entertaining crowds, enjoying his football, embarrassing defenders and breaking defenses, Neymar Jr. now looks a shadow of his former self. Before his match-winning brace against Bordeaux, Neymar had only scored one goal in seven games and that was a penalty.
One would expect the Brazilian to use the opportunity to link up with Messi and Mbappe to his advantage, feeding the lethal pair of finishers from the left wing. Since arriving at the club, he has provided 55 assists for PSG. Additionally, it is worth noting that he has been quite an attacking force by himself, racking up 90 goals in that time.
Clearly, with the new arrivals at PSG, their €222 million star should be looking at increasing those numbers at a faster rate than ever. There is not the same cutting edge about Neymar's game now, he is aging yes, but he's still just 29.
His energy and efficiency have both suffered, and if he's unable to recover from this downhill slide, testing times could be waiting for the Brazilian and PSG.
#3 Marco Verratti - 58 assists
When he's not orchestrating midfield, creating space or intensely pressing, PSG midfielder Marco Verratti is showing his creativity and cutting edge by assisting goals. He has been a vital cog for the French giants since joining in 2012 and has only become more crucial to how their midfield functions.
The Italian is known for controlling the tempo of the game and never rushes into making rash decisions. He is adept at playing both as a holding midfielder and in a more advanced role and that only increases the confidence he brings to the PSG midfield.
The man who initiates most attacks from deep has also proved that he could be the one providing the final pass before the ball is buried in the net. Till date, Verratti has registered 58 assists for the Ligue 1 club.
PSG's only concern has been that the 29-year old has been prone to injuries throughout his career. But commendably, he walks into the team after recovering like nothing happened.
#2 Kylian Mbappe - 73 assists
That his dream destination lies elsewhere is no longer a hidden fact, but Kylian Mbappe has done everything he can in his power to help PSG in every capacity. At just 22, such is his impact that the French forward is considered the most important player in the front-three of himself, Messi and Neymar.
Scoring goals is his duty and he does it with pride for both club and country. But he is not shy of setting up his team-mates to finish if that is the demand of the moment. Ask a certain Karim Benzema if you don't believe us!
Sometimes accused of being a little selfish, Mbappe has the second-most assists at PSG from the current lot. With 73 assists from 188 games, the France international always finds some way of being involved in a goal. In his four seasons with the club, he has won the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award twice.
Speaking of assists, it's fair to mention that Mbappe provided the all-important assist in the 2020 Champions League quarter-final against Atalanta. The injury-time winner, scored by Choupo-Moting, sent PSG into their first Champions League semi-final since 1995.
#1 Angel Di Maria - 113 assists
He's selfless, he's direct, he's loved in Paris. Angel Di Maria is PSG's all-time leader with the highest number of assists for the club. The Argentine joined PSG after what was a tough time with Manchester United where he couldn't settle and the fans weren't impressed with him. But he turned his fortunes around in France.
In his 273 appearances for PSG, Di Maria has accumulated 113 assists. He started building his legacy in his first season itself by winning a domestic quadruple with the French giants in 2015-16. He set the record for most assists in a single Ligue 1 season with 18 in that campaign.
Di Maria also delivered a man-of-the-match performance on PSG's most important night in the Champions League. He scored one and provided assists for two other goals in the 3-0 win over RB Leipzig, sending them to their first final.
In his Champions League career, Di Maria has 34 assists in 95 games, that's one every third game. The PSG forward is now 33 and will begin the twilight of his career, but he could still be a very important player for the club when Mbappe leaves.
