'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#3 Miralem Pjanic
Miralem Pjanic was a part of a heavily publicised summer swap involving Barcelona, Juventus, and Arthur Melo last year. The Bosnian midfielder has been intent on forging a formidable partnership with Frenkie de Jong at the heart of Barcelona's midfield but has found Ronald Koeman to be a surprisingly hard man to please.
Miralem Pjanic has started only three La Liga games this season and has been unable to usurp Sergio Busquets as Barcelona's premier defensive midfielder. The former Juventus star has been vocal about his ambitions at the club and has already voiced his disappointment with the current situation.
Ronald Koeman has found some solace in the 4-3-3 system this year and Miralem Pjanic will have to seize every opportunity that comes his way to convince Ronald Koeman of his mettle. The Bosnian star has chipped in with reliable performances at the Catalan club but is yet to hit the heights that made him one of the first names on the team sheet at Juventus.
#2 Matheus Fernandes
Barcelona signed Matheus Fernandes as a highly-rated wonderkid from Brazilian club Palmeiras last year. The defensive midfielder spent most of his first year on Spain on loan to Real Valladolid before returning to his parent club at the start of the 2020-21 season under Ronald Koeman.
Six months have passed since his stint with Barcelona's first team and the youngster is yet to make a La Liga appearance with the Blaugrana. The midfielder has had some misfortune with his fitness this season but has found first-team minutes severely hard to come by upon his return.
Matheus Fernandes did make a cameo appearance against Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Champions League and has found a place in Ronald Koeman's squad for the Spanish Super Cup. With La Masia sensation Ilaix Moriba making massive strides in recent weeks, however, Fernandes will likely opt for a loan spell away from Barcelona in search of a few more minutes on the football field.
#1 Riqui Puig
Riqui Puig was one of the brightest sparks at Barcelona last year and his midfield performances against some of Spain's biggest teams were a throwback to the Blaugrana's golden era. Puig was earmarked for success at the club and was a seamless addition to the first team.
With Ronald Koeman's arrival at the club, however, Riqui Puig has seemed to fall down the pecking order at Barcelona. Much to the anguish of the club's fanbase, Koeman's insistence on snubbing Riqui Puig over the course of this season has resulted in an air of uncertainty around the youngster's future.
Riqui Puig has always impressed when given a chance at Barcelona and his substitute appearances against Granada and Real Sociedad over the past week will have given Ronald Koeman plenty to think about. The Catalan youngster showed plenty of heart to score Barcelona's winning penalty in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals and seems intent on standing by his boyhood club.
Also Read: 5 managers who have underperformed this season (2020/21)
