Five players who failed to make a single league assist this season

Bengaluru, Aug 6: Football is a simple game. The team that outscores the opponent wins and that is probably the reason why goalscorers have always been the most celebrated footballers. However, it is a team game and therefore, it is not fair to overlook the efforts of other players.

Players who create the goals are equally important as the ones who score them it has been a sensational season for creators all around Europe. The likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Lionel Messi, Thomas Muller, Luis Alberto and others have been at their best this campaign with a few of them creating their own individual records.

In this article, we will take a look at five players who have surprisingly not been able to manage a single league assist this season despite playing in positions where they are expected to at least one solitary assist.

However, it does not mean that they are not necessarily good players in terms of creativity as the only number of assists cannot judge the influence of the players. It can rather be attributed to the fact that their roles are much behind just producing the final pass or even it could mean poor finishing off those who are expected to score.

This list would include five absolutely top-class players and would certainly make most people itching their heads in disbelief.

M'Baye Niang - Rennes

Formerly of AC Milan, Niang's career looked to be on the downward curve two years back but he looks like a rejuvenated version of himself at Rennes. The Frenchman has scored 15 goals in all competitions for the French side this season with 10 of those coming in Ligue 1 which was prematurely brought to an end.

It is mind-boggling to believe that the pacey forward has failed to register a single assist this season despite playing most of the season either as a number nine or as a left-winger. For the record, he made six Ligue 1 assists last campaign which shows that he is not just a scorer but also a creator but somehow could not open his assists tally for the campaign.

Jordan Veretout - AS Roma

Another former Premier League player who has managed to revive his career outside England is versatile French midfielder Jordan Veretout. The 27-year-old has been of the best players for AS Roma this season on loan from Serie A rivals Fiorentina and impressed with his work rate and passing.

However, it is a bit surprising that such an elegant and pin-point passer of the ball has failed to register a single assist in Serie A this campaign although he has made one assist in Europa League.

Gerginio Wijnaldum - Liverpool

Unlike the others in this list, Gini Wijnaldum has actually failed to register a single assist for either Liverpool or the Dutch national team for two seasons running and it is hard to believe simply because of the fact that he plays behind a front-three of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.

The Dutchman has actually played the most number of minutes under Jurgen Klopp over the years and that includes the last couple of seasons as well and that makes this achievement even harder to believe. He has scored a number of crucial goals in the meantime for both club and country though.

Saul Niguez - Atletico Madrid

Possibly the most versatile and well-rounded footballer in the world right now, Saul Niguez is one of the best midfielders of the game. He has played in multiple positions this campaign including central midfield, defensive midfield, attacking midfield, right-wing, left-wing and even at left-back this season but it's hard to believe that he is yet to provide at least one final pass leading to a goal this campaign. Although the Spaniard has seven goals in all competitions to his name, his tally of zero assists in 4.156 minutes of football is hard to believe.

Thiago Alcantara- Bayern Munich

One of the most technically gifted midfielders in the world right now, Thiago Alcantara is undoubtedly the most shocking name in this list. The Spaniard plays with such grace and he is typically known for his eye for a pass and for such a talented player to go without a full season without Bundesliga assists is quite unbelievable. However, the 29-year-old has two assists to his name in Champions League this season and could add more to his tally when the elite competition of Europe resumes.