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Things seem to be settling down for Barcelona as the 2021-22 season rolls around at the end of this week. The club recently hosted a presentation ceremony at the Camp Nou to officially announce the players that will be appearing on their roster, come next season.
For the first time in 28 years, no player will be donning the esteemed number 10 jersey after it being left vacant by Lionel Messi, who joined PSG.
The Catalans' 3-0 thrashing of Juventus in the Joan Gamper Trophy came as a surprise to the entire footballing world. A toothless Bianconeri attack, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, failed to break the duck in Barcelona's first match of the post-Messi era.
Memphis Depay and Antoine Griezmann starred in a comprehensive win for Blaugrana, citing indications of things to come.
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Which players spent the least time on the pitch for Barcelona last season?
Ronald Koeman, in his debut season at the helm of the club, firmly established his authority over his squad. The Dutch manager spent no time discarding the players he did not deem fit for his style of play.
Consequently, talented prospects like Riqui Puig and Junior Firpo spent most of their time warming the bench. Although a mere 581 minutes in all competitions can be considered slander towards Puig's talents, new signing Matheus Fernandes suffered the most under Koeman's regime.
The recently released Brazilian could only register a paltry 17 minutes all season.
In sharp contrast, Frenkie de Jong clocked in with the most minutes played for Barcelona, devoting 4,492 minutes on the field. Meanwhile, Pedri managed to rack up the highest number of appearances for the club, appearing an eye-watering 52 times for the 26-time La Liga champions in his debut campaign.
With the squad steadily taking shape, Koeman will have to figure out an updated system to get the most out of his trusted players all the while incorporating new signings.
However, to achieve optimal results, the game-time of multiple squad members will inevitably end up on the chopping block. Here, we take a look at 5 such players who should only be used scarcely by Barcelona next season:
#5 Miralem Pjanić
Tremors of the disastrous Arthur-Pjanic swap deal can still be felt by the Barcelona board, considering their current financial predicament. Miralem Pjanic was signed up for €60m last season, with his market value being a fraction of that amount.
Aside from the massive signing fee, the Bosnian midfielder pockets a staggering €8m salary on an annual basis. Yet he could only muster a few substitute appearances in his debut season with the Catalans.
Not only is the investment-to-output ratio completely ludicrous, but Pjanic's impact on the pitch has also literally been non-existent, accumulating zero goal contributions in over 1,200 minutes.
With Koeman preferring to play 18-year-old Ilaix Moriba in place of their marquee signing, the 31-year-old playmaker's future at Barcelona looks bleak at best. After a single season in Catalonia, rumors linking Pjanic with a move back to Turin started surfacing.
However, with financial troubles of their own, the chances of Juventus re-signing their former star appear very slim, meaning he could stay. Considering his decline, it would be safe for Barcelona to not heavily rely on Pjanic to come good next season.
#4 Clément Lenglet
An inspiring signing in his initial years with Barcelona, things have quickly taken a sour turn for Clement Lenglet. The French defender was the most used centre-back under Koeman last season, registering 3,698 minutes in 48 appearances across all competitions. However, he quickly lost his place to academy regulars Ronald Araujo and Oscar Mingueza due to his sub-par performances.
Bought from Sevilla for an initial fee of €35.9m in 2018, Lenglet quickly cemented his position alongside Gerard Pique as his centre-back partner. Nevertheless, his form took a huge nosedive last season, with Lenglet being directly responsible for numerous goals conceded by the Blaugrana.
With the aforementioned Araujo and Mingueza slowly proving their worth in defence, Lenglet could see a substantial reduction in his playing time next season.
Additionally, the arrival of Eric Garcia could restrict the 26-year-old center-back to the bench if he continues with his shaky form. Due to his error-prone tendency, Lenglet has also been linked with a potential exit.
The France international still has time on his side but needs quick rectification to avoid being axed from Barcelona.
Also read: 5 reasons why Barcelona can win La Liga (2021-22)
#3 Ousmane Dembélé
A potential €145m signing for Barcelona, Ousmane Dembele was supposed to be a direct replacement for the outgoing Neymar in 2017. Fast forward four years and the French playmaker has turned out to be one of the most disappointing transfers in Barcelona's history.
Signed as a 20-year-old, Dembele exuded huge potential in his solitary season with Borussia Dortmund. Barcelona were tempted by his raw talent and decided to splash a world-record fee for the youngster. However, due to consistent injury and disciplinary issues, the Frenchman's career has stalled in Catalonia.
Now 24, Dembele recently played his first full season with Barcelona, having spent most of the previous three on the treatment table. Despite his output of 11 goals and five assists being decent enough for a winger, Dembele's performance failed to even remotely justify his hefty price tag.
Capable of playing anywhere on the front line, the erratic forward still exhibits the immaturity of a teenager. With another long-term hamstring injury ruling him out until October, Dembele's attitude during recovery will be a key factor in deciding his future.
He has some obvious talents, but an inability to harness his true potential might motivate Barcelona to cut their losses, sooner rather than later.
#2 Gerard Piqué
A surprise entry on the list, Gerard Pique has been a defensive stalwart for Barcelona ever since he returned to his boyhood club in 2008. The Spaniard's formidable partnership with compatriot Carles Puyol in the early 2010s has become the stuff of legends. Yet a steep decline in fitness and form lands him on such a list.
In an injury-riddled season, Pique could only muster a total of 23 appearances in all competitions. Even when the veteran was deemed fit to play, he displayed a lack of sure-footedness and stability that had carried him to the pinnacle of the game. A humbling defeat against PSG in the round-of-16 stage of the UCL thoroughly exposed the cracks in Pique's current game.
With Barcelona clinging on to their glittering past, an over-reliance on a 34-year-old Pique will only drag the club into further chaos. The emergence of new blood in the form of Mingueza, Araujo, and Eric Garcia does generate hope for the Blaugrana.
However, such a project can only succeed if they part ways with former legends who are way past their prime now. As such, Pique could be among the least used players in the first team next season.
#1 Sergi Roberto
The last La Masia graduate to make a name for himself in Barcelona's first team, Sergi Roberto has been a victim of his own versatility. Roberto was an integral part of the fabled 2010-11 B-team that finished third in the Segunda division.
Although his former teammates were rated much higher than the utility man, it was Roberto who made it into the first team, after the departure of Dani Alves in 2016.
Initially groomed as a central midfielder, Roberto ended up being deployed at the right-back spot due to his soaring pace and defensive abilities. He became a mainstay under Luis Enrique and even scored in a remarkable 6-1 comeback against PSG. However, the 29-year-old Spaniard has experienced a drastic decline in form ever since Enrique's exit.
The Spanish international had one of his worst seasons in a Barcelona shirt in 2020, struggling with injuries and constantly putting in abysmal performances. In Emerson Royal and Sergino Dest, Koeman will have two of the most promising right-backs at his disposal, this season.
With a stocked midfield, Roberto's time at Barcelona is definitely nearing its end, and the Catalans would be wise not to rely on their third-choice captain in 2021-22.
Also read: Firsts and lasts for Lionel Messi at Barcelona
