8 players with the most assists in one year as Thomas Muller sets new record

Bayern Munich have been more or less unstoppable for large swathes of 2021, and Thomas Muller has had a big part to play in that.

The German international has been enjoying a late-career renaissance, helped out by the quality of teammates around him, helping Bayern clinch the Bundesliga title last season and win all six of their group games in the Champions League.

Muller has scored 14 goals in the calendar year, including home and away efforts against Barcelona as Bayern handed the Catalan club their first Champions League group stage exit since 2000.

However, while the German international won't be too upset by his goal numbers picking back up, the assists metric is where the 32-year-old has really come into his own.

Can anyone beat Muller's record? Let us know in the comments section

Muller registered assists in Bayern's last two games of 2021 as Julian Nagelsmann's side demolished Stuttgart and Wolfsburg to end the year nine points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.

Those were assists number 31 and 32, according to Transfermarkt - seven more than any player from one of Europe's top five leagues managed in 2021 and the most any player from one of those leagues has racked up in the 21st century.

Players from other leagues have also recorded 30 or more assists in a calendar year, with Dusan Tadic doing to twice for Ajax and Hakim Ziyech setting up 34 goals for the Dutch side in 2019.

The top 10 includes only two repeat offenders, but there are plenty of names which will be familiar to Premier League fans.

10. Neymar (2017) - 27 assists in 47 appearances

2017 was the year in which Neymar made his world record switch from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, so it is no surprise to see him crack the top 10.

The Brazilian finished the calendar year with 27 assists in 47 appearances, three clear of his closest challenger Christian Eriksen.

His most impactful moment came against the club he would end up joining, as two goals and two assists helped his Barca side overcome a four-goal first leg deficit and eliminate PSG from the 2016-17 Champions League.

8=. Lionel Messi (2011) - 28 in 54

The first of two Messi appearances on the list, this one is made even more special by the fact that he also had time to score 52 goals.

His assist count was an almost-as-impressive 28 from 54 appearances for Barcelona, in a season where they won the Champions League.

Messi was on target in the final as Barca beat Manchester United, while he began the 2011-12 season in fine supplying form with six assists (and eight goals) in his first five La Liga games.

8=. Kevin De Bruyne (2015) - 28 in 54

Only one player has more assists than De Bruyne in the history of the Premier League, and James Milner had a lengthy head start on the Belgian.

However, De Bruyne's best assisting year was the one which prompted Manchester City to pay what was then a then club record fee to sign him from Wolfsburg.

His return in 2015 was the same as Messi's in 2011, right down to the number of games played, and included a hat-trick of assists for Wolfsburg in a 5-3 victory over his former club Werder Bremen.

6=. Lionel Messi (2016) - 28 in 51

Messi has continued to post otherworldly goal and assist numbers, and the five-year gap between his two entries on this list is testament to his longevity.

The Argentine finished the 2015-16 season as a domestic champion, and might have improved on his 28 assists in 51 games had Barca progressed beyond the last eight of the Champions League.

They weren't just gloss-adding assists, either, as he laid on both goals in Barcelona's extra-time victory over Sevilla in the 2016 Copa Del Rey final.

6=. Thierry Henry (2003) - 28 in 51

The 2002-03 season saw Henry set a Premier League assist record which stood for the best part of two decades before being equalled by De Bruyne in 2019-20.

The Frenchman's inclusion on this list is one of just two from before 2010, and matches Messi's 28 in 51 games.

It includes the start of the Invincibles season, when he set up five goals in the Champions League group stage and all three in a 3-0 league win at Birmingham City.

5. Neymar (2016) - 28 in 47

Given the form of Neymar and Messi in 2016, it's amazing to think Barcelona failed to reach the Champions League final in either season involving that calendar year.

The Brazilian equalled Messi's tally of 28 assists but from just 47 appearances as he produced one of his best campaigns.

2016 was also the year in which Neymar won Olympic gold with Brazil, providing assists in the quarter-final and semi-final victories.

4. Franck Ribery (2012) - 28 in 46

Ribery has spoken about his failure to win the Ballon d'Or in 2013, and his club successes that year wouldn't have been possible without his efforts the previous year.

The Frenchman set up 28 goals in 2012, from just 46 appearances, to set Bayern up for a momentous run of trophies.

He also provided three assists as Bayern beat Basel en route to the 2012 Champions League final, before repeating the trick a few months later against Fortuna Dusseldorf in the Bundesliga.

3. Mesut Ozil (2009) - 28 in 41

For all Ozil's achievements at Arsenal and Real Madrid, his best calendar year actually came as a Werder Bremen player.

After helping the German side reach the 2009 Uefa Cup final, he continued to deliver well into the next season before moving to Madrid.

A personal highlight came in a 6-0 win over Freiburg, where Ozil scored once and set up four of the remaining five Werder goals.

2. Eden Hazard (2012) - 30 in 52

It's easy to see why Hazard was in such high demand in 2012 before Chelsea won the battle for his signature.

His nine assists in the last 11 league games - along with a hat-trick in the season closer - helped Lille to a lofty finish, before his summer move to the Champions League winners.

The Belgian made a fast start in London, setting up six goals in his first three Premier League games, and his total of 30 in 52 games is a record which stood up until this year.

1. Thomas Muller (2021) - 32 in 49

Muller's numbers speak for themselves, with 15 Bundesliga assists already this season representing more than most will manage in a full campaign.

Between October 17 and December 4, the German registered at least one assist in all seven of Bayern's league games, including three in a win at Union Berlin.

The Bundesliga assist record for one season currently stands at 21, and that total was set by Muller himself in the 2019-20 campaign. He'd be disappointed not to pass that before May.