Tense title races, breathless relegation battles, and players giving their all to snatch coveted individual accolades — the business end of the 2023-24 season is almost upon us. In the next four months, the stars will stand a chance to become superstars, to go from valuable to irreplaceable. They can leave an everlasting mark on the global soccer scene by pushing their teams to wins and titles.
It is almost impossible to predict how things will go in the business end of the season, but we can surely identify players worth keeping an eye on based on their performances over the last few months. Today, we will check out the most consistent attackers in Europe this season. Here are the 10 players with the most goal contributions in the top five European leagues and their associated competitions in 2023-24:
#10 Julian Alvarez (Manchester City): 25 Goal Contributions
Manchester City’s versatile frontman, Julian Alvarez, is the 10th name in the rankings, with the Argentine chipping in with 15 goals and 10 assists in 35 matches this season. The fact that Alvarez often plays second fiddle to Erling Haaland makes his numbers all the more impressive.
Alvarez has admirably scored eight goals and claimed seven assists in 24 Premier League appearances this season. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner has been even more prolific in the UEFA Champions League, netting four times in as many outings.
#9 Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid): 25 Goal Contributions
Atletico Madrid ace Antoine Griezmann has been in red-hot form since the start of the 2023-24 season. The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner has been scoring for fun and setting up goals at will, recording 18 goals and seven assists in 35 matches in all competitions.
An overwhelming majority of Griezmann’s goal contributions have come in La Liga, with him chipping in with 11 goals and six assists in 24 games for Los Rojiblancos. Without his timely goals and assists, Diego Simeone’s men would not have been in a Champions League qualifying spot.
#8 Erling Haaland (Manchester City): 27 Goal Contributions
Manchester City dynamite Erling Haaland has racked up impressive numbers despite missing quite a few games due to a stress-induced injury in late December and early January. The Norwegian has so far played 27 games for the Cityzens in all competitions, scoring 21 times and providing six assists.
Haaland sensationally won the Premier League Golden Boot in his debut season (2022-23) in England, scoring a record 36 goals in 35 outings. Although he has not been as prolific this season, he looks on course to defend his crown. In 19 Premier League outings, Haaland has scored 16 times, emerging as the frontrunner in the Golden Boot race.
#7 Bukayo Saka (Arsenal): 28 Goal Contributions
Chipping in with 15 goals and 13 assists in 32 matches for Arsenal, Bukayo Saka has claimed the seventh spot in the rankings. As his numbers reflect, Saka has been equally brilliant in finding the back of the net as well as setting up his teammates. A whopping 12 of Saka’s 15 goals have come in the Premier League. Had it not been for his invaluable strikes, Arsenal would not be in the running for the Premier League title this season.
Saka has also been excellent in the UEFA Champions League, scoring thrice and providing four assists in five games for Arsenal so far.
#6 Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan): 28 Goal Contributions
Runaway Serie A leaders Inter Milan have been in sensational form this season. The Nerazzurri have not tasted defeat since September and are currently on an eight-game winning run in all competitions. It has been a real team effort from all Inter players, but it would be unfair not to give Lautaro Martinez a special shoutout.
Martinez has been Inter’s undisputed best attacker this season, with him pitching in with invaluable goals and assists, especially in Serie A. The Argentinian has scored 23 times and provided five assists in 31 games this season, with 20 of said goals and four assists coming in the Italian top flight.
#5 Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid): 28 Goal Contributions
Arguably the best midfielder in Europe at the moment, Jude Bellingham has hit the ground running at Real Madrid. The 20-year-old has commanded not only the middle of the park but also the opposition third, clocking an impressive 20 goals and eight assists in 29 games across competitions. Sixteen of Bellingham’s 20 goals have come in La Liga, making him the division’s leading scorer.
Unfortunately for the All-Whites, their star man sprained his ankle in the first week of February and could miss the remainder of the month as a result. They missed the ex-Borussia Dortmund man dearly during their 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano on Sunday afternoon (February 18).
#4 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool): 29 Goal Contributions
Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah has been in majestic form in the 2023-24 season. The Egyptian King has featured in 28 games in all competitions, scoring 19 times and providing 10 assists. He is one of three players on this list who averages over one goal contribution per game.
Salah’s excellence has been most prominent in the Premier League this season. In 21 English top-flight outings, he has scored 15 times and provided nine assists. The 31-year-old added a goal and an assist to his tally when he returned from a hamstring injury on Saturday (February 17), helping the Premier League leaders to a 4-1 win over Brentford.
#3 Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa): 30 Goal Contributions
Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins has set Europe alight with his magnificent performances this season. The versatile attacker, who primarily operates as a center-forward, has bagged a whopping 18 goals and 12 assists in 35 matches in all competitions this season. Watkins has been particularly impressive in the Premier League, with 13 of his goals and all of his 12 assists coming in the English top flight.
Watkins produced one of his best performances of the season on Saturday (February 17), popping up with a brace to propel the Villans to a 2-1 victory over Fulham in the Premier League.
#2 Harry Kane (Bayern Munich): 37 Goal Contributions
Bayern Munich sharpshooter Harry Kane has been in otherworldly form since moving from Tottenham Hotspur last summer. The Englishman has impressed both with his ruthless finishing and ability to create chances, registering 29 goals and eight assists in 30 games in all competitions. The England skipper has scored 25 times in 22 Bundesliga matches so far to announce himself as the European Golden Shoe frontrunner.
Kane’s form has taken a hit in 2024, with him scoring four times in seven Bundesliga games. He must rediscover his best form, and quickly, to help Bayern put pressure on runaway leaders Bayer Leverkusen in the final 12 games of the season.
#1 Kylian Mbappe (PSG): 39 Goal Contributions
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Kylian Mbappe has announced himself as the most efficient forward in Europe, recording 32 goals and seven assists in 31 games across competitions. The Frenchman has scored 21 times in 20 Ligue 1 games to emerge as the division’s leading scorer. He has also proven his mettle in the UEFA Champions League, netting four times in seven outings.
Mbappe will become a free agent on June 30, 2024, and according to reports, he will not renew with the Parisians. It will be interesting to see how the French champions go about replacing their all-time leading scorer (244 goals in 291 games) next summer.
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