The Football Clubs Most Reliant on One Star Player
A 2026 report found that Saudi club Al‑Shabab is more dependent on one player than any football team in the world. A new study by the football predictions platform The Daily Punt analyzed goal contributions, assists, and playing time across six major leagues to identify which clubs would struggle the most without their star player.
- Al‑Shabab team leads the list, with Yannick Carrasco scoring nearly half of the team's goals.
- Putting a third of their attacks through one player, Al‑Ahli and Metz follow closely.
- At the other end of the ranking, clubs like Inter Milan and Real Madrid put many football stars on their roster, making it easier to switch strategies on the fly.
The study evaluated every outfield player across the Bundesliga, Premier League, La Liga, Ligue 1, Serie A, and the Saudi Pro League during the 2025-2026 season. For every player, the share of team goals scored and team assists was calculated, and a higher player reliance score reflects how often the club’s attacks are concentrated on that player. The final ranking includes the top 100 players teams rely on the most, with their salaries included as additional context.
Here are the 10 clubs most reliant on a single player:
You can access the complete research findings here.
1. Al‑Shabab (Yannick Carrasco)
- Key Player: Yannick Carrasco
- League: Saudi PL
- Position: MF/FW
- Minutes Played: 2,326
- Share of Goals: 43.2%
- Share of Assists: 25%
- Salary Share of Club Payroll: 25.5%
Al‑Shabab is the football club most dependent on one player. Yannick Carrasco scores nearly half of his team's goals and assists roughly one in four of the rest. More than one-third of the team's attacks are led by him, too. Carrasco takes home about a quarter of the club's total wage bill, so the financial investment matches the on‑pitch risk.
2. Al‑Ahli (Ivan Toney)
Al‑Ahli from the Saudi Pro League ranks second, with Ivan Toney scoring more than half of the team's goals, the highest share in the entire study. Toney earns about one out of every seven dollars the club spends on wages, which is not unreasonable given his output. Al‑Ahli have built their attack around a classic number nine (striker): when he scores, they win, but when he doesn’t, they have very few other options.
3. Metz (Gauthier Hein)
The French club Metz takes third place, with Gauthier Hein scoring roughly one in four of the team's goals and assisting more than one in three (35%). The team relies on him for most attacks, but his salary share is just 8% of the club's payroll. Hein is not the highest-paid player at the club, but currently, he is the most important.
4. Manchester United (Bruno Fernandes)
Manchester United ranks fourth, with Bruno Fernandes creating nearly half of the team's assists, the highest share in the top ten. He scores 13.3% of the team’s goals as well, and takes home almost one-tenth of the club's payroll, which is modest for a player of his importance. United have spent heavily on other forwards, but the numbers show that attacks still run through their Portuguese captain.
5. Auxerre (Lassine Sinayoko)
Auxerre from the French football league rounds out the top five, with Lassine Sinayoko scoring more than one in three of the team's goals and assisting roughly one in four. He scores just as often as Bruno Fernandes, but his salary is just 4% of the club's payroll, the lowest in the top five. Auxerre has built their attack around a player who costs the team very little. That is good business, but only until he gets injured or sold.