4 most improved players this season at Barcelona

FC Barcelona is one of the biggest clubs in the world, with an illustrious history that makes winning trophies every season a given at the club.

Barcelona is expected not to just win, but also win very convincingly and it is under the weight of this humongous pressure that the player files out in the famous colours of the Blaugrana every week.

This season has been good up till this point for Barcelona, as the club remains on course to achieve its objectives, as they hold a significant lead in their bid to retain their LaLiga title, while also still in the running for a fifth consecutive Copa del Rey crown and the one they are most interested in - the UEFA Champions League.

Barca possesses extraordinary players within its ranks like Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets but to name a few and each of this players have all played at their usual levels, contributing their quota to the Barcelona cause.

While the aforementioned have flourished, there have been others who have also been below par, as they have just struggled along without making any telling contribution to Barcelona's season thus far.

There is, however, another group of players, all talented within their own rights, but having yet to really make their mark in Barca's colours owing to some factors such as injuries or being new arrivals and these players are the subject of this piece.

In this slideshow, we shall be taking a look at four Barcelona players who have improved the most this season.

#4 Carles Alena

The 21-year-old has been at Barcelona all his professional life, joining the side in 2005 and progressing through all the youth ranks until making his senior debut in 2016.

Alena had been captain of the Barcelona youth side and scored an amazing solo goal (which Messi himself would have been proud of) in a UEFA Youth League match against AS Roma to announce himself to the world.

Alena's progress in the senior team has been hampered by injuries and the abundance of talent within the Barcelona midfield ranks, but his impressive technique and familiarity with the workings of the club give him an edge.

Indeed, at the start of the season, this writer identified him as one of a number of fringe players who would make an impact this season and so far, Alena has played the part accordingly.

So far, he has made eight LaLiga appearances, up from the three he made in the 2016/17 season, scoring one goal and if he continues with his rapid development, he is sure to become a mainstay in the middle of the park for a number of years to come.

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#3 Clement Lenglet

Lenglet has proven himself in defence for Barcelona

As recently as 2016, Lenglet was turning out in Ligue 2 with Nancy, helping the club win the second division title in France.

His performances with the French club were convincing enough for Sevilla to fork out €5 million to sign him and after two successful years at the Sanchez Pizjuan, Catalan giants Barcelona also went in for him with a transfer fee believed to be in the region of €35m and immediately helped his new club defeat his former club 2-1 in the 2019 Spanish Super Cup.

The superior experience of World Cup winners Samuel Umtiti and Gerard Pique meant that Lenglet was largely seen to be a squad player, however, the unfortunate long-term injury suffered by the former Lyon man thrust his compatriot into the limelight and the 23-year-old has grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

Lenglet has so far made 15 LaLiga appearances, while also turning out for all seven of Barcelona's UCL fixtures and he has impressed significantly with his calm defending and positional awareness.

#2 Arthur Melo

When Barcelona paid €40 million for an uncapped Brazilian, many wondered about the wisdom in paying such an amount for an unknown quantity, but anyone who had reservations about the deal must be licking their wounds now.

The 22-year-old had proven himself with his native Gremio, helping the Brazilian club to the 2017 Copa Libertadores, while also helping guide the club to a Campeonato Gaucho.

Having initially struggled to make starts at Barcelona, Arthur got his break following a tactical change by Ernesto Valverde following a slump in form by the Blaugrana and the Brazilian international has not looked back since then.

He has earned widespread praise for his composure and technique on the ball, drawing comparisons with Andres Iniesta and Xavi, with the latter even given him a stamp of approval.

So far this season, Arthur has made 27 appearances in all competitions and at this point, that €40 million is looking like money well spent.

#1 Ousmane Dembele

What a difference six months can make in the career of a footballer. At the start of the season, there were genuine indications that Barcelona were willing to offload Ousmane Dembele, having yet to be convinced of his value to the club.

The arrival of Malcom from Bordeaux seemingly further pushed Dembele to the exit door, but in a remarkable turn of events, the World Cup winner is now an established member of the starting lineup.

Having been the most expensive player of all time at Barcelona, the 21-year-old had the unenviable task of replacing Neymar at the club and his Barca career got off to the worst start possible, as a horrific injury effectively ruined his chances of making an impact in his debut campaign.

Since then, accusations of not watching his diet, keeping late night, unprofessionalism with teammates and coaches even coming out to chide him, while the club fined him €100,000 for showing up late to training sessions.

These sets of events seemed to the light that ignited the long-awaited spark in the Frenchman, as he has become a new player, contributing his quota to the Barcelona cause.

Late last year, he scored a vital late equaliser in a top of the table clash away to Atletico Madrid, while his speed, skills and quick change of pace has offered a different dimension to Barcelona's attacks.

So far this season, Dembele has made 21 LaLiga appearances, scoring eight goals and assisting three, while in the UCL he has made five appearances and scored two goals (including that beautiful worldie against PSV).

His form has been so impressive that he has kept club record signing Philippe Coutinho out of the starting picture and if Dembele is to keep up with this form (to augment Messi), there could be no stopping Barcelona winning a third treble.