5 Future stars who could lead Barcelona to glory

In recent times, FC Barcelona have almost invariably been an absolute joy to watch. We have seen some of the best football ever produced by sides managed by Frank Rijkaard, Pep Guardiola and more recently Luis Enrique. Quite often slinging it out for first place in La Liga with arch-rivals Real Madrid, the Catalan giants have always been in the running for Champions League titles and several other cup competitions.

Lionel Messi has been at the forefront of their success, and is still very much essential to their chances. However, it seems that many of the ‘Golden Generation’ have come and gone while the Argentine continues to dazzle and be the match winner for his side. Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o were once his chief partners in crime, with Xavi and Andres Iniesta keeping the whole operation ticking over unlike no other midfield partnership in the world. Carlos Puyol and Victor Valdes formed a solid foundation at the back which allowed for such creative freedom for the rest of the team.

While the majority of these players have moved on, Messi along with Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets remain. So many players have come and go, it is now the unenviable task of Ernesto Valverde to find the crop of players who can continue this Barcelona legacy and move the club forward. Here, we take a look at 5 potential stars for FC Barcelona.

#5 Arthur

Barcelona may well have discovered an absolute gem in young Brazilian midfielder Arthur- a player who appears to be tailor-made for the Barcelona style of play. Having made 70 appearances for Gremio in Brazil, he has forged a reputation in his early career for being a fine passer of the ball- drawing comparisons with the likes of Thiago and Andres Iniesta no less.

Furthermore, he has been touted as the long-term heir to Xavi Hernandez, which is a huge compliment to any young player.

The young Brazilian has already featured 14 times for Barcelona this season and looks set to be given every chance possible to showcase his talents. Not fazed with the pressures of big occasions, Arthur turned in a man of the match display in a Copa Libertadores final whilst at Gremio- Barcelona could have a big game player for many years to come.

#4 Marc Cucurella

Cucurella has a great opportunity to hone his skills on loan at Eibar. Can he break into the Barca first team?

Young Spanish defender Cucurella has only featured once for the first team of FC Barcelona, a solitary appearance in the Copa Del Rey so far. Yet he has made 54 appearances for Barcelona B, and has 33 caps at various youth levels for Spain.

Mainly utilised as a left-back, Cucurella is a solid yet adventurous player who is currently on loan at Eibar gaining some further experience. He is highly regarded at Barcelona, and they see him as a future first-team player. It will be interesting to see how he fares at Eibar and whether he will come back ready to step into the first-team role of some kind. Jordi Alba will soon be entering his 30’s now and the left back berth will be one Cucurella is certainly eyeing up.

#3 Carlos Aleñá

Another highly regarded Spanish youngster, Aleñá has been at FC Barcelona since the age of 7. Coming up through the famed La Masia academy, he is all too aware of the values of the club and what it means to be a Barcelona midfielder.

Hard working, combative yet cultured Carlos Aleñá is still only 20 years of age. He also has an eye for goal, chipping in with a fair few for Barcelona B with 18 goals in 89 appearances he certainly isn’t shy in getting forward.

In previous years he has made a few appearances for the first team, 9 in total and got his first senior club for the club in the Copa Del Rey against Hercules. Not to mention 32 caps at youth level for Spain, we can see he is already building up a solid amount of games for club and country at a tender age.

#2 Ousmane Dembélé

Such a highly talented player, this would seem an obvious choice especially taking into account his status within the first team already. However, due to his extreme talent, it is easy to remember Dembélé is only 21 years of age and still has a very long career ahead of him.

Incredible close control, vision and an eye for goal saw Dembélé established as one of the most in-demand youngsters in world football and it was no surprise when Barcelona stumped up a huge transfer fee to sign him from Borussia Dortmund in August 2017.

His first season at Barcelona was disrupted by injury, however, he still managed 23 games, scoring 4 times with 6 goals to his name early this campaign. Integrating well now in the line-up, his potential knows no limits and there is no doubt he will be a very important player for Barcelona.

In his relatively short career, he already has a German cup to his name, as well as a La Liga and Copa Del Rey not to mention the fact he is a World Cup winner at the age of 21 after his nations exploit in Russia. Dembélé is certainly one to watch.

#1 Clement Lenglet

Lenglet may well be a steal at 35 million euros in the current climate

Here we see a potential defensive stalwart in young Frenchman Clement Lenglet. Signed from Sevilla in July 2018 when Barcelona met his release clause of 35 million euros, the centre back would appear to be a very shrewd acquisition for the price paid.

At the age of just 23, Lenglet has amassed 194 professional appearances and scored 13 goals during this time. Lenglet has forged a reputation as a tidy and dependable centre-half who fits Barcelona's passing style down to the ground.

He has 41 caps for France at youth level all the way from U-16 to U21 and seems only a matter of time before he gets a call-up to the senior squad. After a promising start to his Barcelona career, he notched a late winning goal against Cultural Leonesa in the Copa Del Rey.