Modern-day soccer demands a lot out of midfielders. Not only are they asked to pass the ball around with accuracy and shield against offensive threats, but they are also expected to do well in the attacking third. They ought to push up when an opportunity presents itself and find the composure to play the right pass or apply a sumptuous finish. It is no joke to thrive wearing so many hats, but a handful of attack-minded midfielders have shown that the task is not impossible.
Continue reading to meet the 10 midfielders with the most goals + assists across the top five European leagues in the 2023-24 season:
#10 James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur): 9 Goal Involvements
The fact that James Maddison has secured a place on this list despite being out of action since November 2023 (ankle injury), speaks volumes about his ability. The England international, who joined Tottenham Hotspur last summer, has notched nine goal involvements in 11 Premier League matches. He has scored thrice and claimed six assists.
Maddison is the perfect man to mask the hole that Harry Kane left behind. Ange Postecoglou needs his key man to return to action as soon as possible to push for a top-four finish.
#9 Antonio Candreva (Salernitana): 9 Goal Involvements
Antonio Candreva has been in a league of his own in his debut season at Salernitana. The 36-year-old right-midfielder player has been at the heart of everything positive for the 20th-placed Serie A outfit, registering five goals and four assists in 19 league outings.
Unfortunately for the veteran midfielder, his efforts have not yet inspired his teammates to do better. Salernitana are currently six points away from safety and Candreva alone cannot make his team stay in the top-flight.
#8 Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa): 9 Goal Involvements
Aston Villa have been flying high in the Premier League this season. Clinching 43 points from 21 league games, Unai Emery’s side have climbed to third place in the standings. While it has surely been a group effort, we cannot help but give a special shoutout to Douglas Luiz. The central midfielder has not only delivered a masterclass in distribution but has also been effective in front of goal, pitching in with six goals and three assists in 20 league matches.
Luiz has shown his creative side in the UEFA Europa Conference League as well, notching two assists in six games.
#7 Bernardo Silva (Manchester City): 10 Goal Involvements
Manchester City maestro Bernardo Silva is the seventh name on this elite list. The Portugal international, who can effortlessly play both as an attacking midfielder and a right winger, has had a direct hand in 10 Premier League goals. The 29-year-old has scored six times and provided four assists in 17 English top-flight outings.
Surprisingly, Silva has not managed to extend his superb form to other competitions. He has played eight matches outside the Premier League, scoring just one goal.
#6 Jonas Hofmann (Bayer Leverkusen): 12 Goal Involvements
Bayer Leverkusen has emerged as serious Bundesliga contenders this season. Halfway through the 2023-24 campaign (17 games), Xabi Alonso’s side sit at the top with 45 points, four points clear of second-placed Bayern Munich (16 games). Jonas Hofmann’s brilliance in the middle of the park has been instrumental to Leverkusen’s title challenge, with the 31-year-old notching 12 goal involvements in 17 points.
Hofmann, who has also scored once and provided an assist in five UEFA Europa League matches, has bagged five goals and claimed seven assists in the German top flight.
#5 Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen): 12 Goal Involvements
Like his Bayer Leverkusen teammate Jonas Hofmann, Florian Wirtz has also pitched in with 12 goal contributions in the 2023-24 Bundesliga season. The 20-year-old has netted five times and claimed seven assists.
Wirtz, too, has played 17 league games but fewer minutes than Hofmann (1373 vs 1301), which is why he is ranked higher on this list. The attacking midfielder has also been in sensational form in the UEFA Europa League, recording two goals and four assists in four outings.
#4 Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter Milan): 12 Goal Involvements
Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi has often used Hakan Calhanoglu in a defensive midfield position this season. The versatile midfielder, who is known for his inch-perfect set-piece deliveries, has shone in that role, playing a part in 12 goals in 20 Serie A games. The Turkish gem has scored an impressive nine times in the Italian top flight and claimed three assists.
The Nerazzurri have emerged as the most dominant team in Serie A this season, clinching 51 points from 20 games, and Calhanoglu has been integral to their success story.
#3 Julian Brandt (Borussia Dortmund): 13 Goal Involvements
One of the most underrated midfielders in the top five European leagues, Julian Brandt has been right on the money this season. Playing 17 Bundesliga matches this season, the versatile attacking midfielder has notched 13 goal involvements. He has scored six times and claimed seven assists.
No Bundesliga midfielder has scored as many as the German international in 2023-24.
#2 Cole Palmer (Chelsea): 13 Goal Involvements
Chelsea have not been at their best this season. Bagging just 31 points from 21 games, they sit in ninth place in the Premier League standings and have little hope of securing European soccer for next season. Amidst the doom and gloom, Cole Palmer has emerged as a beacon of hope.
The 21-year-old, who joined from Manchester City last summer, has been directly involved in 13 Premier League goals this season. The attacking midfielder has scored nine times and provided four assists in 18 league outings. He is currently Chelsea’s leading scorer in the Premier League.
#1 Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid): 15 Goal Involvements
Securing 15 goal involvements already in the 2023-24 season, Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham has comfortably clinched the top spot. A whopping 86% of Bellingham’s goal involvements have come directly from goals. The England international has scored 13 goals in 17 La Liga matches thus far, emerging as the division’s top scorer and the highest-scoring midfielder in Europe. The 20-year-old has also snagged two assists in the Spanish top flight.
Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in July, has also been magnificent in the UEFA Champions League, scoring four times and providing three assists in five matches.
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