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The ongoing season has been a great one for Barcelona up till this point - in the running for a fifth consecutive Copa del Rey crown, holding a healthy seven-point lead in LaLiga with 11 matches to go and holding the cards in their round-of-16 UCL clash with Lyon - the Blaugrana look on course to achieve a distinct treble this season.
Their tilt at winning all trophies available to them has been made possible by the performances of usual suspects in Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets among others who have kept up to their world-class standards, while an ever improving group of players have also supported them.
Even though a lot of Barcelona players have stepped up to the plate to lead the club's charge so far this season, there are others who have either not performed at their usual standards or totally failed to match expectations.
On that note, we shall be taking a look at the three most disappointing players for Barcelona so far this season.
Also read: 4 reasons why Barcelona could win the treble this season
#3 Kevin-Prince Boateng
A loan transfer from Sampdoria during the winter transfer window; Kevin-Prince Boateng was a shock signing by Barcelona to say the least.
The 32-year-old is the antithesis to everything Barcelona stands for, which led many to question the rationale behind the sanctioning of the ex-Ghanian international's signing.
So far, those questions have been proved to be justified, as the former Milan player has proved to be nothing more than an a mere squad member.
Primarily signed to be a backup to Luis Suarez, Boateng showed his massive limitations in that role when he made his debut LaLiga appearance against Real Valladolid, as he struggled to lead the line, making more headlines for the unfortunate burglary on his home during the match than for his performances on the field.
Boateng is yet to make another appearance for the Blaugrana since that match (not even making a single match day squad), which in addition to his Copa del Rey debut means he has worn the Barcelona colors on just two occasions for a grand total of 123 minutes; almost two months on from his arrival.
Also read: 3 reasons why Barcelona signing Boateng made no sense
Also see : women's world cup 2019, womens world cup bracket, Womens World Cup Standings
#2 Malcom
Malcom was the subject of one of the most controversial transfers in history when he completed his move from Bordeaux to Barcelona despite already agreeing terms with Italian club AS Roma.
For someone whose arrival proved so complicated, a lot more would have been expected from the Brazilian, but Malcom's case has proved to be a situation of 'much ado about nothing'.
Eight months on from his arrival, and the 22-year-old's Barcelona career is yet to truly kick in, as he still finds himself out of the first team picture, yet to make a genuine impact on Barcelona's season.
So far this term, Malcom has made just 15 appearances in all competitions of which only six of those have been starts (with just just one coming in LaLiga).
The former Bordeaux man has been limited to just Cup appearances and he can take solace in the fact that he scored an important equalizer in the Copa Clasico against Real Madrid.
It looks highly likely that Malcom would not be a Barcelona player come next season and this is rather shameful considering the shenanigans that Barcelona pulled to get his services.
Also read: 4 players who should be offloaded by Barcelona next season
#1 Philippe Coutinho
Philippe Coutinho had long been linked with a Barcelona transfer following his displays in the colors of Liverpool and after many failed bids, Barcelona finally got their man in a club record deal in January 2018.
Touted as the long-term successor to Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta, it all began well for the Brazilian international at the Camp Nou, as he proved himself to be an invaluable member of the squad, contributing his quota to help the club win the double in his first half-season in Spain.
In his first campaign, Coutinho made 22 appearances in all competitions, scoring 10 goals and making six assists to help Barcelona lift the LaLiga and Copa del Rey, but so far this season, the 26-year-old's numbers have dipped alarmingly.
It all started so well for the former Liverpool and Inter Milan man, as he was one of Ernersto Valverde's integral players upfront, operating in the hole in behind Lionel Messi in the tactician's preferred 4-4-2 formation.
However, all that changed following the resurgence in form of Ousmane Dembele, which brought about a tactical switch to a 4-3-3 to accommodate him, and has seen Coutinho dropped to the bench in place of the French World Cup winner.
The Brazil international has struggled to regain his place in the team and on the occasions he does play, the play maker shows nothing of the confidence and technique which made him one of the best midfielders in the world and convinced Barcelona to shell out such an amount for him.
His dip in form has been so shocking that fans and pundits alike have tried to decipher the cause of his Barcelona struggles, and Barcelona would need him to rediscover his Midas touch as they approach the crunch part of the season.
So far this term, Coutinho has scored just eight goals and registered five assists from 39 matches in all competitions and surmise it to say that this is far from the figures expected from him at the start of the campaign.
