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The Catalans have been the cradle of innovation when it comes to footballing philosophy and producing world class players. Every top athlete comes through the door into the footballing world dreaming of playing for a club like FC Barcelona.
Even making it into the Barcelona squad is a task in itself. 23 lucky men from around the globe get the golden opportunity once in their life to shine in Barca. But the job doesn't end there, playing for the first team is another challenge in itself.
A team that already has superstars like Leo Messi, Gerard Pique, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets leaves little room for young stars to pave their way through the ranks.
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Over the years, we have witnessed several players living the dream of wearing the Blaugrana shirt, but at the same time, a massive chunk of these 'lucky' players spend the peak of their careers fighting for a spot in the first team and then eventually dying out like stars in the universe.
Ernesto Valverde has claimed that he wants a small 23 man squad under his charge so that he can give more opportunities to young and emerging talents, but at the same time, he has failed to clear the deadweight the Catalans have been carrying for a couple of seasons now.
There are a ton of creative and skilled players who seldom get the chance to excel at the Camp Nou.
Although it was their dream to represent the club, they haven't quite lived it on the field, and perhaps leaving the club for play time elsewhere would be the best option for both the player, and the club, who are looking to cut down on their wage bill. Let's look at some promising talent being wasted in Barcelona.
#5 Jasper Cillessen
Undoubtedly one of the best reserve goalkeepers in European football, Jasper Cillessen has all the ability to shine as the first choice keeper for some of the top European clubs.
He has drawn interest from elsewhere, but the Dutchman has also pledged his allegiance to the Catalans, saying that he would fight for a chance in the first team with German shot stopper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The former Ajax man has only featured regularly in the Spanish Cup for Barcelona. There is no denying that ter Stegen has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, but Jasper also deserves a fair bit of recognition and game time for his set of skills.
However, what he received in return is a game time amounting to a total of only 2880 official minutes in the time he has spent in Spain. 2880 minutes in 23 odd months at the club means a average of around 81 minutes per month. Cillessen surely deserves more than one game per month.
#4 Yerry Mina
Columbia's star at the World Cup, Yerry Mina has been massively underused by the Barca. Mina took off his shoes to walk barefoot on the Camp Nou turf as a sign of respect towards the prestigious club, but that moment is one of a handful of significant times spent by the Colombian on the pitch.
Ever since moving to Barcelona in January of 2018, Mina has only featured in around 370 minutes of football, which averages to just around 50 minutes per month.
News of Valverde's lack of trust in the Colombian's abilities broke out within a week of Mina joining the club.
He has also been treated badly by the fans who consider him as the sole reason behind the defeat against Levante last season which ended Barcelona's unbeaten run in the Spanish League.
The Colombian has drawn interest from several of Europe's top clubs, and reportedly wants to stay in the continent. Also, Lenglet's arrival and Vermaelen's burst of form at about the same time of Mina's arrival make things even worse for the central defender.
An excellent header of the ball, Mina is likely to leave Barcelona this summer, and he must, for the sake of his career. There is little room in the Barcelona defence for Mina to make his mark.
#3 Andre Gomes
The Portuguese was a sensation back in his Valencia days. Ever since jumping ship to Barcelona, Gomes has been the scapegoat whenever he put on the shirt for Barca. Booed by the Camp Nou faithfuls regularly, Gomes recently spoke about the mental pressure he has been under ever since his presentation for Barcelona.
Andre Gomes is a classic case of succumbing under pressure at the top level. A very talented midfielder, Gomes was one of the key men in Valencia. In Barcelona however, he has barely featured as a game-changer.
Averaging just about 115 official minutes per match, Gomes is likely to leave Barca this summer. The club too have been keen to sell the midfielder and make space for Arthur Melo, Denis Suarez and Carles Alena.
The midfielder had been supported and backed by his teammates who have at times even urged Barcelona fans in the stadium to appreciate Gomes' skills but play-time is a major issue in his development.
Lack of game time in the last two years forced Fernando Santos to exclude Gomes from his World Cup 2018 squad.
Gomes failed to earn a place under Luis Enrique and his status only worsened under Ernesto Valverde. Perhaps it is only a matter of time before we see Andre Gomes in the shirt of another club?
#2 Paco Alcacer
Paco is one player who has shined every single time he has put on the Barcelona shirt, yet he gets a start rarely.
A good header of the ball and a lethal striker, Alcacer is somewhat the perfect combination some of the biggest clubs crave for, but the talent rots on the bench of the Camp Nou due to the competition he faces there. Luis Suarez has established himself as a core element of the Barca squad and that leaves no room for Paco to start games.
Still only 24-year-old, Paco has a promising career ahead of him but only if he gets minutes to prove himself.
Ever since moving for Valencia to Barcelona for a fee of 30 million, the Spaniard has only featured in around 2290 official minutes for the Catalans, averaging just about 95 minutes per month but at the same time he has scored 15 goals and provided 8 assists, a decent number for someone who plays so less.
Like a lot of Barcelona substitutes, Paco has drawn interests from other clubs, and moving to one of these 'lower' clubs would perhaps be the perfect stepping stone for the forward to improve himself as a player.
#1 Denis Suarez
One of the most promising midfielders of his generation, Denis Suarez has been massively underused by both Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde.
The Spaniard was a crucial part of the Spanish side that lost the European U-21 Championships' final to Germany but like the majority of the players in that team, he has failed to capitalise on the success of that tournament.
Only Saul from Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid's Marco Asensio were members of the U-21 called up for the 2018 World Cup squad.
Denis Suarez is a very skillful player. Good on the ball, a terrific dribbler and reader of the game, Suarez's playing time at the Camp Nou was majorly restricted by a reported clause in his contract.
Suarez's play-time speaks for itself. He has featured in more official minutes for Barcelona B than he has featured for the main team although he has played in more matches for the main team.
Mostly used as a last minute substitute, Denis' development has been hindered due to lack of play time. Elsewhere in Europe, he would have unarguably been a key part of any club but the Spaniard continues to be loyal to the club of his dreams.
But maybe it is in the best interest of the midfielder to ply his trade elsewhere?
