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2021 was not kind on 26-time La Liga winners Barcelona. They didn't win the league last season, crashed out of the Champions League this term, and are practically out of the league title race already. To top it off, not only have they lost Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain, but they also lack the financial muscle to sign worthy replacements.
Amid the doom and gloom, very few players have managed to make the fans jump up in excitement this year. These chosen ones spread optimism through their goals, even in the face of imminent despair.
Here are five players, both current and former, who scored the most goals for Barcelona in 2021:
#5 Ousmane Dembele - 6 goals
Following Neymar's departure in 2017, Barcelona immediately went shopping for the next big thing in football. With Kylian Mbappe already plucked out by PSG, Barcelona went to Borussia Dortmund for Ousmane Dembele’s services.
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The Blaugrana spent €135 million to bring Dembele to the Camp Nou and are still waiting patiently to get their money’s worth.
The Frenchman has had really poor luck in terms of injuries. Every time Dembele starts to get into a rhythm, he picks up a long-term injury, ruling him out for weeks and months. On his day, Dembele can take the fight to the best teams in the world, and new coach Xavi has backed the youngster to deliver.
In 2021, Dembele only hit the back of the net six times for Barcelona, which is disappointing for a player of his caliber. With some luck and consistency, we could see him multiply his tally over the next year.
#4 Frenkie de Jong - 7 goals
Barcelona went all-in for the signature of Frenkie de Jong in July 2019. The Ajax star cost Barcelona €86 million at the time, but no one, for once, doubted his quality.
Over the last couple of seasons, De Jong has been one of the first names on the team sheet for Barcelona. However, his performances have not always managed to woo the fans over.
His tally of seven goals and eight assists in 2021 is not bad, but his ball-play still needs a lot of work. His distribution and progressive plays have been decent against mediocre opponents, but he has not been able to deal with high-pressing teams.
Even against an aging midfield like Real Madrid’s, De Jong was outplayed, which is hardly a good look for Barcelona’s marquee midfielder.
De Jong, fortunately, has time on his side and could easily become one of the best if he puts his mind to it. He simply needs to take everything in his stride and approach the game like he used to at Ajax.
#3 Memphis Depay - 8 goals
In the summer of 2021, Barcelona started thinking of a contingency plan. They wanted to bring in a player who could keep the team afloat in the absence of the great Lionel Messi. Memphis Depay, who scored 20 goals in Ligue 1 in the 2020-21 season, emerged as a practical option.
The Netherlands international fired a blank in the La Liga opener, but his overall involvement was appreciated. He has scored eight goals and provided two assists in La Liga so far, emerging as the team’s leading goalscorer.
Depay is currently nursing a hamstring injury and could miss a couple of matches when football resumes in Spain in 2022.
#2 Antoine Griezmann - 15 goals
Antoine Griezmann was supposed to be one of Barcelona’s standout performers, the one to take the baton from Lionel Messi. Impressed by his spell with Atletico Madrid, the Catalan giants chose to break the bank in 2019, signing their man for €120 million.
Griezmann showed flashes of his best self right away, but what followed was nothing short of a nightmare.
The 2018 World Cup winner struggled to combine with Lionel Messi and was thoroughly under-utilised by Ronald Koeman. To top it off, his finishing in itself was wayward, which kept him from justifying his sky-high price tag.
Following a disappointing two-season spell at the Camp Nou, he moved back to Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2021 in an initial loan deal.
In 2021, Griezmann played 32 games for Barcelona in all competitions, scoring 15 goals. The goal-tally in itself is not the worst, but the Blaugrana couldn’t afford to keep paying his sky-high salary without getting consistent returns.
#1 Lionel Messi - 28 goals
Lionel Messi bid Barcelona adieu in August 2021, joining Ligue 1 giants PSG for free. The Catalan outfit were never going to replace their record goalscorer, but the club’s state has been poorer than anyone could have ever imagined.
Despite not kicking a single ball for Barcelona in four months, Lionel Messi remains their top goalscorer of the year with 28 goals. The Argentine started the year on the front foot, scoring 12 goals in the first nine La Liga games he participated in. Messi added 11 more to his tally over the next 12 La Liga games.
The Argentina skipper scored three in the Copa del Rey, including a brace in the final, and two more in the Champions League Round of 16.
