The top five European leagues are riddled with exceptional midfielders and attackers who are adept at keeping possession of the ball and controlling the tempo of the game with accurate and intelligent passing.
However, there are very few footballers who can carve out chances for their teammates at will and break down rigid defensive lines time and again with their vision and creativity on the ball.
One statistic that is a good judge of such qualities is the ability to pick out key passes during a game.
A key pass can be roughly defined as a passing move that creates a goalscoring opportunity for one’s teammate.
Players like Lionel Messi, Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne are widely regarded as playmakers that can open up defences with their exceptional passing in the final third.
It’s the vision and the execution that separates the best from the rest, and today at Anytime football, we look at 50 such players across Europe who have had the most number of key passes this season.
The likes of Dmitri Payet and Trent Alexander Arnold find themselves towards the top of the list, and it is hardly surprising given their performances for their respective teams.
Payet was a sensation during his time in the Premier League, and he has continued that form with his return to France.
The French international winger is an expert when it comes to opening up defences with his incisive passing and crossing.
Similarly, the Liverpool full-back has been likened to the former England legend David Beckham because of his passing range, and he is undoubtedly one of the best right-backs in the world right now.
The young England international is more than just a defender, and he has been one of the main sources of creativity for Jurgen Klopp’s side ever since he broke into the first team.
Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne is another world-class passer, but the Belgian has had a difficult season because of injuries, and it is understandable why he is not towards the top end of the key passing list.
However, the Belgian has returned to action, and he did so in splendid fashion with an explosive performance against Leeds United.
It wouldn’t be surprising if De Bruyne manages to finish the season on a high and ends up climbing the key passing charts rapidly.
| Rank | Player, Team, Age, Position | Key Passes |
| 1 | Benjamin Bourigeaud, Rennes, 27, M(CLR) | 57 |
| 2 | Dimitri Payet, Marseille, 34, M(CLR),FW | 54 |
| 3 | Antonio Candreva, Sampdoria, 34, M(CLR) | 51 |
| 4 | Iker Muniain, Athletic Bilbao, 28, AM(CLR) | 50 |
| 5 | Thomas Müller, Bayern Munich, 32, M(CLR),FW | 47 |
| 6 | Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United, 27, M(CLR) | 45 |
| 7 | Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool, 23, D(R),M(R) | 44 |
| 8 | Jonas Hofmann, Borussia M.Gladbach, 29, M(CLR) | 42 |
| 9 | Moses Simon, Nantes, 26, M(CLR),FW | 41 |
| 10 | Christian Günter, Freiburg, 28, D(L),M(L) | 40 |
| 11 | Filip Kostic, Eintracht Frankfurt, 29, M(LR),FW | 40 |
| 12 | Lorenzo Pellegrini Roma, 25, M(C) | 40 |
| 13 | Nabil Fekir Real Betis, 28, AM(CLR),FW | 40 |
| 14 | Jonathan Clauss, Lens, 29, D(R),M(R) | 36 |
| 15 | Vincenzo Grifo, Freiburg, 28, AM(CL) | 36 |
| 16 | Yacine Adli, Bordeaux, 21, M(C) | 36 |
| 17 | Hakan Calhanoglu, Inter Milan, 27, M(CLR),FW | 35 |
| 18 | Memphis Depay, Barcelona, 27, AM(CL),FW | 35 |
| 19 | Gerard Deulofeu, Udinese, 27, AM(CLR),FW | 34 |
| 20 | Sofiane Boufal, Angers, 28, AM(CLR),FW | 34 |
| 21 | Jason Berthomier, Clermont Foot, 31, AM(C) | 33 |
| 22 | Kylian Mbappé, Paris Saint-Germain, 22, AM(LR),FW | 33 |
| 23 | Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, 29, AM(CLR),FW | 33 |
| 24 | Franck Honorat, Brest, 25, M(LR) | 32 |
| 25 | Lorenzo Insigne, Napoli, 30, AM(CL),FW | 32 |
| 26 | Marco Reus, Borussia Dortmund, 32, M(CLR),FW | 32 |
| 27 | Razvan Marin, Cagliari, 25, DMC | 32 |
| 28 | David Raum, Hoffenheim, 23, D(L),M(LR) | 31 |
| 29 | Téji Savanier, Montpellier, 29, M(C) | 31 |
| 30 | Andros Townsend, Everton, 30, AM(LR),FW | 30 |
| 31 | Christopher Nkunku, RB Leipzig, 24, M(CLR),FW | 30 |
| 32 | Florian Wirtz, Bayer Leverkusen, 18, AM(C) | 30 |
| 33 | Karim Benzema, Real Madrid, 33, FW | 30 |
| 34 | Leroy Sané Bayern Munich, 25, M(CLR),FW | 30 |
| 35 | Alessandro Schöpf, Arminia Bielefeld, 27, M(CLR) | 29 |
| 36 | Amine Gouiri, Nice, 21, AM(L),FW | 29 |
| 37 | Damián Suárez, Getafe, 33, D(R),M(R) | 29 |
| 38 | Domenico Berardi, Sassuolo, 27, AM(R),FW | 29 |
| 39 | Jack Grealish, Manchester City, 26, AM(CL) | 29 |
| 40 | Michail Antonio, West Ham, 31, D(R),M(CLR),FW | 29 |
| 41 | Romain Faivre, Brest, 23, AM(CLR) | 29 |
| 42 | Adrián Embarba, Espanyol, 29, AM(CLR),FW | 28 |
| 43 | Federico Dimarco, Inter, 24, D(CL),M(L) | 28 |
| 44 | Iago Aspas, Celta Vigo, 34, AM(CR),FW | 28 |
| 45 | Matt Ritchie, Newcastle United, 32, D(L),M(CLR) | 28 |
| 46 | Nedim Bajrami, Empoli, 22, AM(C) | 28 |
| 47 | Óscar Trejo, Rayo Vallecano, 33, M(CLR) | 28 |
| 48 | Raphinha, Leeds United, 24, AM(LR) | 28 |
| 49 | Vinícius Júnior, Real Madrid, 21, AM(L),FW | 28 |
| 50 | Benno Schmitz, FC Koln, 27, D(CLR) | 27 |