Barcelona have been busy in the transfer market. Luis Enrique recognized the need for reinforcements after they almost let go of last season’s title. Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar are definitely the first choice front three for the Catalans but when you looked at their bench there weren't too many who could have replaced any of the three.
But this season the team look even stronger after the signings the club has made. Some players have also improved their game from last season which will give Enrique more options to choose from.
With that in mind let’s look at 5 players who could put in surprise performances this season.
5) Lucas Digne
Lucas Digne was a surprise signing made by Luis Enrique. With Jordi Alba being the automatic first choice not many will expect the full back to get too many appearances. But with Mathieu injured Digne might still have a say this season.
Digne had a great season for Roma last year and impressed many. The Frenchman was an unused substitute in the Euros as well but since his move to Barcelona, he has done well in the short space of time he has played.
Digne came on for the injured Mathieu in the Spanish Super Cup and put in an impressive performance. He might not be as much of an attacking threat as Alba but he has very good defensive capabilities.
Alba also suffered injury problems in pre-season but recovered in time for their opening game against Betis. Digne came on as a substitute for the last 12 minutes of Barca’s opening La Liga game as well and once again looked the part. He could surprise a few this season.
4) Marc-André Ter Stegen
The news of Claudio Bravo moving to Manchester City will come as a big blow for Luis Enrique. The Chilean is one of the best in the business but the prospect of playing under one of the best managers in the world is a hard one to turn down.
But his No 2. of last season Marc-Andre Ter Stegen is a very good keeper himself. He was Barca’s first choice in the Champions League and the the cup competitions but is now set to become the club’s No 1.
With Bravo playing his last game for Barca yesterday Enrique will now have to install Ter Stegen as his replacement in goal. But this could work out well for both the coach and the German. Ter STegen is a great shot stopper and a regular run of games will also help him adapt to the Barca playing style.
The German is susceptible to the occasional goof up but he seems to have eradicated that part of his game and is ready to really step into the elite league of keepers in the world.
3) Sergi Roberto
Sergi Roberto was very much a utility player last year, playing in all kinds of positions This season he started at right back, a position vacated by Dani Alves after he left for Juventus this summer.
Aleix Vidal is the natural replacement but the problem with the Spaniard is the fact that he has been very inconsistent. Luis Enrique is still not completely convinced he’s the right player that can fulfill the role, the Brazilian made his own.
But Roberto provides the perfect solution for Enrique. The Spaniard did extremely well in his first game in that position against Real Betis. Roberto seems to have learned the balance between attacking and defending and shows that quality even when he is deployed in a midfield role.
Roberto will be used as a utility player once again this season but Enrique might be inclined towards giving him the full-time right back role if the 24-year-old can prove himself.
2) Arda Turan
The signing of Arda Turan raised a few eyebrows in 2015 after his move from Atletico Madrid. The Turkish winger stated, winning big things as the reason for the switch. Atleti fans were obviously enraged by this but many questioned where he would fit in at the club.
Turan could only feature for Barca in 2016 because of the transfer ban the club were facing. Last season eventually ended in disappointment for him after he failed to impress or even break into the first team on a regular basis.
After a summer of speculation, Barca decided to keep the forward. The 29-year-old has had a very impressive pre-season and seems to have finally integrated into the Barca system quite smoothly.
Turan was arguably their best player in the friendlies and with Neymar not available for the first game against Betis, Turan grabbed his chance and scored the first goal of the game. With injuries to a few key personnel, this could be the year of the Turk.
1) Denis Suarez
Denis Suarez was let go by Barcelona in 2015, the club he spent a part of his youth at, training at the La Masia. He eventually went out on loan to Sevilla where had a less than impressive spell after which he made a permanent switch to Villarreal in 2015.
The little playmaker was the heartbeat of the yellow submarines last season helping his club finish in the top four and qualifying for the Champions league. His previous employers were so impressed they eventually signed him back this summer.
Something Barcelona visibly lacked last season was squad depth and Enrique has tried to address that this window by signing players who could perform the squad player role. But Suarez might turn out to be more than just a squad player for Barca this season.
With Iniesta not playing many minutes in pre-season and then being ruled out for the first two weeks of the new campaign Suarez got his opportunity and has taken to the role extremely well.
The Catalans might have just found their successor to Iniesta in Suarez and with the 32-year-old nearing the end of his playing career. The 22-year-old might get more minutes than what even he would have expected this season.
