The most creative player in LaLiga – Leader of assists and key passes

Over the course of the 21st century, LaLiga has been home to some of the passing masters and some of the most naturally gifted playmakers of the modern era. A number of new players in the Spanish midfield and attackers are starting to emerge and many local players are included in the list of the most creative players in LaLiga in the 2024/25 season.

Most assists in the 2024/25 season

Player	Club	Help
Lamin Yamal	Barcelona	9
Raphinha	Barcelona	6
Alex Baena	Villareal	5
Bryan Zaragoza	health	5
Oscar Mingueza	Celta Vigo	5
Vinicius Junior	Real Madrid	5

Even though they have experienced unexpected problems in the last few games, Barcelona have been an outstanding team in LaLiga so far, at least when it comes to the top. Wingers Raphinha and Lamine Yamal are at the heart of everything good about Hansi Flick’s side and they are the two players who have scored the most goals in the division so far in the 2024/25 season.

At 17, Yamal is making headlines and he has registered an incredible 16 assists for club and country since the start of Euro 2024 in the summer. That compares to seven goals, so at the moment he is doing more damage with his creative qualities than with his goalscoring.

Meanwhile, Raphinha has been arguably the best overall player in LaLiga this season with 11 goals and six assists for the Brazilian. His compatriot Vinicius Junior is also part of a group of six players who have registered five assists in LaLiga 2024/25.

It would also be no surprise to see Villarreal’s Alex Baena feature, but Oscar Mingueza is unlikely to be included, as the 25-year-old is producing the best football of his current career on the right wing for Celta.

Bryan Zaragoza is also a big star in LaLiga after failing in Germany with Bayern Munich. He has created three goals for Osasuna striker Ante Budimir. The only other players who often combine to score goals are at Barcelona (Raphinha to Lewandowski and Yamal to Raphinha – both threes).

Most assists since the start of the 2023/24 season

Player	Club	Help
Alex Baena	Villareal	19
Raphinha	Barcelona	15
Nico Williams	Athletic	14
Lamin Yamal	Barcelona	14
Iago Aspas	Celta Vigo	13

Taking into account the entirety of last season, as well as the opening 16 games of this season, it is Baena who is the assist king in the League with 19 assists in 48 appearances. That’s all the more impressive considering Villarreal wasn’t one of the strongest teams in the division last season.

Raphinha is his closest rival with 15 points, while Nico Williams is only one point behind with 14 points. The Spain international is hoping to spearhead Athletic’s top-four challenge this season, although he has had a bit of a slow start to the new campaign, having put in a fantastic run of form. Euro 2024 with his country as he combined brilliantly with Lamine Yamal who has registered 14 assists in LaLiga so far in his young career.

At the other end of the age scale, 37 year old Iago Aspas is performing at a very high level for Celta Vigo. The Galician still provides a regular goal threat, but he has adapted his game and has often had more of a creative influence recently with 13 assists in LaLiga since the start of the 2023/24 season.

Most key passes (2024/25)

Player	Club	Key passes/plays
Alex Baena	Villareal	3.3
Raphinha	Barcelona	3.2
Luis Milla	Getafe	2.3
Vinicius Junior	Real Madrid	2.2
Giovani Lo Celso	Original Calf	2.0
Carlos Vicente	Alaves	2.0

In terms of key passes, Baena and Raphinha stand out as the two players most likely to make the decisive pass in Spain’s top flight at the moment.

There is a significant gap with Getafe’s Luis Milla who is ranked third with an average of 2.3 key passes per game. With very limited options up front, Getafe often failed to capitalize on Milla’s creativity and they were the team that scored the fewest goals in the division, although the midfielder was capable of playing through balls or providing assists from set-piece situations.

With Toni Kroos no longer available, Vinicius has become the Real Madrid player most likely to create chances for his teammates, while also offering a big goal threat himself.

It’s a similar story at Real Betis where Giovani Lo Celso has been brilliant since returning from Tottenham at the end of the summer transfer window. He registered 2.0 key passes per game, the same number as Carlos Vicente who shone in a struggling Alaves side.

Most expected goal assists (2024/25)

Player	Club	xAG
Raphinha	Barcelona	7.8
Lamin Yamal	Barcelona	6.7
Sergio Gomez	Royal Society	5.2
Vinicius Junior	Real Madrid	4.7
Alex Baena	Villareal	4.6

Based on LaLiga passing data via FBREF up to matchday 16, Raphinha is the player with the most xAG per match.

Lamine Yamal, Vinicius Junior and Alex Baena have also featured again, while Real Sociedad’s Sergio Gomez has recorded 5.2 xAG, compared to just four actual assists.

This shows that he has provided the best service to his teammates who sometimes disappoint him by not taking advantage of the opportunities he is given.

Final thoughts – Who are the most creative LaLiga players?

With Savinho, Kroos, Ilkay Gundogan, Artem Dovbyk and Yan Couto ending their stays in LaLiga in the summer, five of the top 10 in assist rankings from last season are no longer active in the league.

This has created a creative void that has yet to be filled by some of the new arrivals, although Lo Celso, Sergio Gomez and Bryan Zaragoza have all attracted attention since moving clubs in the summer.

Currently, Raphinha stands out as the most creative player in LaLiga overall, ranking in the top two in terms of estimated goal assists, key passes and assists this season, as well as assists since the start of last season.

He is certainly in top form at the moment, although Alex Baena has arguably been the most consistent creative player in LaLiga over the last 18 months. The number of assists provided by Lamine Yamal is also extraordinary, this young player creates a goal every 134 minutes in LaLiga 2024/25.