Three Players Who Have The Opportunity To Help Barca To Silverware
Injuries have really mounted up for Barcelona this season, with both Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele out until May after the very earliest.
The setbacks to two of Barca’s major stars have opened the door for others to shine in their absence. Here is a look at three players who could take that opportunity and help them lift silverware at the end of the campaign.
Martin Braithwaite
La Liga gave Barcelona permission to make an emergency signing in February due to injuries to their forward players and they opted to sign Martin Braithwaite for 18 million euros from fellow Spanish side Leganes.
Barca could only sign a player in Spain, therefore, their options were limited. They chose Braithwaite who has signed a contract to remain at Camp Nou until June 2024.
It is some rise for the Denmark international as last season he featured for Middlesbrough in the Championship in England where he scored just three goals in 17 appearances.
Braithwaite has netted eight times in 27 games for Leganes so far this season. His tally is likely to significantly improve now given the quality of players in his new side.
The loss of Suarez and Dembele allows Braithwaite to complete his dream of playing for the Spanish giants. He will be hoping he can go one step further now by scoring the goals which will see Barcelona have domestic success this season.
Frenkie de Jong
Barcelona made the decision to loan Phillipe Coutinho to Bayern Munich until the end of the season back in the summer. They may just be regretting that decision now as the Brazilian has shone for the German champions who are odds-on at 4/9 in the Bundesliga betting to defend their title.
Coutinho’s absence meant even more was expected from summer signing Frenkie de Jong. The Dutchman has really impressed over the last couple of months, showing why Barca splashed out 75m Euros for his services back in July.
The 22-year-old is an incredible talent and despite his young age, he already has experience in the Champions League which is going to be important. Barca have not lifted the trophy in the premier European competition since 2015 so they will be hoping to put that right this year.
Ansu Fati
At less than 17 years old, Ansu Fati became the second youngest player to feature for Barcelona when he made his debut in La Liga against Real Betis. Since then, the Spanish-born winger has been given more opportunities to shine on the pitch and he has not disappointed.
Fati scored his first brace for Barca in their 2-1 victory over Levante on the 2nd February. He was also crucial for Quique Setien when he scored the winning goal in his side’s victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League back in December.
There is no doubt Fati is going to be a huge star in the future. He is taking full advantage of the playing time this season where he is using it to develop and prove his talent.
It would be no surprise if Barcelona are celebrating multiple trophies in May, which will be a credit to the players who have stepped in to pick up the reins.