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With Barcelona having ended the 2018/2019 LaLiga campaign on an uninspiring note in a 2-2 draw with Eibar, all attention for the Catalans would now turn to the Copa del Rey final against Valencia.
While an expected victory in the contest would make Barcelona domestic double winners in consecutive seasons, there would still be an air of disappointment around the Camp Nou as the season started with a promise of so much more.
The Champions League was the one trophy which the Blaugrana set their sights on and they were in a commanding position to look ahead to a June 1 showdown with Tottenham, but their infamous capitulation against Liverpool is no longer news.
The current Barcelona team is blessed with an abundance of talent in all departments, but the bottom line is that not all of them pulled up their weight in Gold.
While players like Lionel Messi, Carlos Alena, Arturo Vidal, Marc Andre Ter Stegen but to name a few were largely consistent for the duration of the season, there were a number of others who were found wanting more often than not.
In this piece, we shall be having a rundown of four players who failed to live up to expectation and must step up ahead of next season.
#4 Samuel Umtiti
Umtiti was signed by Barcelona from Olympique Lyon in the summer of 2016 for the sum of €25m after four seasons of stellar displays in Ligue 1.
The Cameroonian-born French international almost instantly became a mainstay in the heart of the Barcelona defence, making 83 appearances in all competitions across his first two seasons at the Nou Camp and going on to lift the World Cup with France in the summer of 2018.
The 25-year-old has constantly been troubled by injuries since arriving Barcelona, having been ruled out for a major chunk of last season through one problem or the other.
However, this season has seen Umtiti hardest hit, as a persistent knee problem saw him miss over four months of action, missing 28 matches for the Blaugrana in that time.
On his return, he was clearly not the same player and was run ragged by opposition attackers, with his shambolic performance in the 4-4 draw with Villareal indicative of just how far his stock has fallen this season.
In total, Samuel Umtiti made just 14 appearances in all competitions this term, as he found himself displaced from the starting 11 by compatriot and summer signing Clement Lenglet and while he might still be one of the best centre-backs in the world on his day, he would be hoping his injury nightmares are behind him so he can stake a claim to being starter next season.
Also see : La Liga Transfer News, Barcelona Transfer News
#3 Ousmane Dembele
Another player who has had rotten luck when it comes to injuries, Ousmane Dembele was thrust into the spotlight when he was identified as the man to fill the ridiculously huge shoes left by Neymar at Barcelona.
With only a handful of top-flight experience under his belt, the former Dortmund man had shown sufficient promise to convince the Barcelona hierarchy to splash the sum of €105m for his signature.
The 22-year-old's unveiling was disastrous, to say the least, but his comical attempts at ball juggling were nothing near the disaster about to unfold barely two months into his Barcelona career.
Dembele suffered a long-term injury in September of 2017 and that derailed his progress for the entirety of his first season.
That did not stop Didier Deschamps from including him as part of his World Cup winning squad, but despite his new found status as a world champion, Dembele's future at Barcelona was far from certain and he started the season with rumours linking him with a move away from Barcelona.
He started the season rather impressively, scoring vital goals including the winner in the Spanish Super Cup as well as a worldie against PSV in the Champions League. However, criticisms soon arose accusing him of a lack of professionalism, with teammates questioning his work ethic and dietary choices.
Instead of sulking, Dembele took the criticisms squarely on the chin and produced some of the best football of his career till date, displacing Coutinho from the starting lineup and cementing himself as one of the cornerstones of Valverde's side.
However, injury struck once again, such that Dembele was not able to play a key role in Barcelona's crunch end to the season.
In total, Dembele made 42 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring 14 goals and creating 10 assists which is far from being a bad return, but the fact that he was unable to play a leading role at a point when Barcelona needed him most rubbed some of the sheen off his displays this season.
He would be hoping for an injury-free 2019/2020 season to fully justify his price tag.
#2 Malcom
Malcom was the subject of one of the most controversial transfers in history when he signed for Barcelona last summer despite having previously agreed terms with AS Roma.
The Italian club had gone ahead to announce his signing on Twitter, while thousands of fans had thronged the Rome international airport to welcome him, but in rather shocking scenes, Malcom ended up signing for the Spaniards with the Italian club threatening to take action.
For all the acrimony associated with his arrival, Malcom spectacularly failed to justify the fuss, as he struggled to break into the Barcelona first team.
Prior to his departure, the Brazilian international had been one of the hottest European prospects at Bordeaux, sought after by most of Europe's elite and there must have been quite a few smiles at Camp Nou when his arrival was confirmed, with it expected that the 22-year-old would complement the efforts of Messi and co. in attack.
However, that proved to not be the case as Malcom made just 23 appearances in all competitions, with most of those coming off the bench, scoring four goals.
This is far from what was expected from a player who was signed for €42m and the Blaugrana faithful would be hoping he would deliver more next season.
#1 Coutinho
Philippe Coutinho was made the most expensive player in Barcelona's history and the third costliest payer of all time when they paid Liverpool the princely sum of £140 million for his services.
The Brazilian international had been a long-term target of the Catalans and was the subject of numerous bids which were all turned down by Liverpool.
Barcelona finally got their man in January 2018 and there was a wild celebration by Blaugrana faithful, as the 26-year-old was seen as the long-term replacement of the legendary Andres Iniesta.
Coutinho ended his first half-season at Camp Nou with 10 goals and five assists from 22 matches helping Barca to the double and it was expected that he would only get better once he fully settled into the team.
This viewpoint was further backed following the departure of the man many foresaw as his predecessor as Andres Iniesta departed for Vissel Kobe in the Japanese league.
However, that has proved to not be the case, as Coutinho struggled horribly for form throughout the course of this season and was the subject of numerous boos from the Barcelona fans.
In total this season, the Brazilian international made 55 appearances in all competitions, scoring a paltry 11 goals and making just three assists.
He looks nothing like the confident player he was at Liverpool, unafraid of his abilities and rarely features for the entirety of matches as he is usually substituted by Ernesto Valverde most times to the jeers of his own fans.
The pressure seems to have gotten to him, as speculations suggest he is seeking a transfer away from the club with Liverpool and Manchester United among those said to be interested.
On his day, Coutinho is one of the very best attacking midfielders in the world, but even he would be the first to tell you that he has not quite performed to expectations at the Nou Camp and if he is to remain a Barcelona player next season, it goes without saying that massive improvements in his output would be expected.
