A move to Barcelona is believed to be a highlight event for most players across the globe. However, the plethora of talent that is present at the Nou Camp can prove to be a deterrent in a player’s career as they can slip into footballing obscurity owing to lack of playing time. Time and again, we have come across a number of players who have decided to move away from the Catalan club, often to a less glamorous club and have flourished thereafter.
A move away from the limelight that accompanies them has worked wonders for some players and helped them resurrect their downward spiralling credentials as a footballer.
With no dearth of quality in its starting line-up, a number of Barcelona players are currently restricted to a bit-part role at the club and we believe the following 5 players need to make a move to progress with their careers.
#1 Cristian Tello
The Spaniard was once upon a time, touted to be the hottest prospect in Spain, owing to his abilities in front of the goal. However, the player has been unable to establish himself at the Catalan club, largely owing to the arrival of attackers of a better pedigree.
The former Espanyol trainee began life with the Barcelona first team on a sound note, establishing himself as a key figure under Tito Vilanova. However, the subsequent arrivals of Neymar and Luis Suarez has sent him down the pecking order and the player spent the last 2 seasons on loan at Porto and Fiorentina, where he sporadically showcases his abilities as a talented attacker.
While it is rumoured that his current loan spell with Fiorentina involves an option to buy the player, he must still impress the hierarchy at the club to make the move to sign him, come the end of the season.
At 25 years of age Tello is soon approaching his prime as a footballer and it would be a shame should be continued to be shipped around Europe for years to come and it would make perfect footballing sense if the player moved away from Barcelona permanently.
#2 Rafinha
The Brazilian attacking midfielder has been with Barcelona since he was 13 years of age. However, a decade down the line, a move away from the Catalan giants could be the need of the hour for the player as he continues to fight with other top draw footballers at the club for a starting role. While he can be an asset to the side, especially with Barcelona’s involvement in a number of competitions, Rafinha is largely a squad player at the club where he learnt his trade.
Rafinha spent large parts of last season on the medical table after being injured in a Champions League tie against Roma and at a club like Barcelona, where players can go from being a regular at the club to just another player trying to make a name for himself. The player has featured just 50 times for Barcelona since making his debut in 2011 (many of them being from the bench) actually found extended playing time only during his season-long spell at Celta De Vigo in 2013-14 and perhaps that would be an indication of where his future lies.
The athletic 23-year-old possesses the ability to demolish defences with his abilities on the ball and is also more than willing to do the dirty work in the middle of the park and a move to another club could help him realise his true potential as a footballer.
#3 Munir El Haddadi
We have come across numerous lists of “talented youngsters we should look” out for that lists Munir El Haddadi as a bagful of talent over the course of the last few years. However, the Spaniard, who recently turned 21, is now in the stage of his footballing career where he must choose to stay at Barcelona and fight for his career or seek a move away from the club in order to salvage his fast diminishing reputation as an attacker.
El Haddadi earned his first Barcelona cap at the age of 18 and has since gone on to represent the club on 45 occasions over the course of the next 3 seasons before being shipped off on a loan to Valencia for the current season, where he has failed to start even game so far.
While loan spells are expected to provide the up and coming players extended playing time, it does not always guarantee the same, especially if the contract between the two clubs includes a minimum number of appearances that the player needs to make. While unaware of any such clause in his contract with Valencia, we believe El Haddadi needs to play more often to truly establish as a performer at the highest level and would be wise to move out of a string of possible loan moves early on in his career.
#4 Douglas
Another exciting prospect who joined Barcelona thinking of it as the pinnacle of his career, but has found playing time hard to come by and is currently shipped on loan is the right-back Douglas. A regular with Sao Paulo, Douglas made the move to Barcelona in 2014 and was soon demoted as the club’s third-choice right-back behind Dani Alves and Martin Montoya owing to his weak performances.
However, the fact that despite the departures of Alves and Montoya from the club, Douglas is currently spending the season on loan with Sporting De Gijon, speaks volumes for itself.
The full back has the ability to contribute in attack as well as defence to the sides he plies in and could prove to be a valuable asset to many clubs that lack balanced full-backs. Unafraid to tackle, the player is tidy with the ball at his feet and can put in dangerous crosses to trouble the opposition.
However, none of these traits have been on display during his short tenure at the club. The 26-year-old Brazilian has made just 8 appearances for the club since joining them 2 seasons ago and it would be wise of him to realise that he does not feature in the long-term plans of the club before it gets too late.
#5 Aleix Vidal
Vidal arrived at Barcelona in 2015 after having had a great time in Spanish football firstly with Almeria and subsequently with Sevilla. However, the pacy full-back, who can also feature as a winger has failed to establish himself in the Catalan colours and a move away from the club could be on the cards in the transfer window to come.
Renowned primarily for his defensive abilities, Vidal helped Almeria gain promotion and was a crucial player for Sevilla in their Europa League winning campaign in 2014-15. However, it seems increasingly likely of being cast amongst the wrong set of superstars as he does not represent the quality that is demanded of the Catalan giants’ players.
After being barred from playing for the club due to a transfer imposed on them until the January of 2016, Vidal has made just 16 appearances across all competitions and despite the talent that he possesses, he has largely been kept silent on most occasions while his teammates grab the limelight with their attacking capabilities. His case has further been weakened owing to a strained relationship with Luis Enrique, who has been unimpressed with his performances in matches as well as in training.
Perhaps a move to a smaller club, where he is offered extended playing time could help the player bring back his A-game to the fore.
