5 players who could partner Lionel Messi upfront for Barcelona in the 2021-22 season

Lionel Messi and co endured one of their worst seasons in recent memory, both on and off the pitch. With a billion-dollar debt accrued over the years, the newly-elected Barcelona administration, led by Joan Laporta, will depend on economical or free transfers going into the 2021-22 campaign.

Moreover, Lionel Messi’s contract at his boyhood club expired following the end of the 2020-21 season. However, Barcelona are expected to re-sign the club legend in the coming weeks. Messi should continue to play a starring role for the Blaugrana in what will be his 21st season at the historic club.

After an over-reliance in the attacking third on the six-time Ballon d’Or winner last season, Ronald Koeman will hope Barcelona’s newest recruits will shoulder the goalscoring burden in the upcoming season.

On that note, let’s take a look at five players who could partner Lionel Messi upfront at Barcelona this season.

#5 Ousmane Dembele

Barcelona’s financial troubles have been well-documented over the past few months. That means the Catalonians will have to rely on the current attacking talent in their arsenal.

One of them is the club’s second-most expensive signing, Ousmane Dembele, who arrived on a £121.5 million transfer from Borussia Dortmund. Signed in the summer transfer window of 2017, following the departure of Neymar, Dembele is tipped to be the man to replace the Brazilian in the long run. One might argue that the Frenchman has not lived up to his fullest potential, but at ju24, Dembele is bound to only get better.

In his relatively young career at Camp Nou, Dembele has been involved in 51 goals (30 goals, 21 assists) from 118 appearances. The Frenchman will look to further elevate his level and fight for a spot in Barcelona’s starting XI alongside Lionel Messi.

#4 Ansu Fati

The La Masia graduate is one of the most exciting prospects in world football right now and has built up a reputation since his breakout season in the 2019-20 campaign.

Ansu Fati racked up 33 appearances in his debut season, with a return of eight goals and a solitary assist. Hailed as the heir to Lionel Messi, the wunderkind became the youngest-ever goalscorer in Champions League history. Fati enjoyed a flying start to the recently concluded 2020-21 season, with five goals and four assists to his name in just 10 appearances.

Unfortunately, a horrific meniscus injury and its severe mismanagement restricted the Spain international to the sidelines for a significant part of last season. The 18-year-old could be the perfect foil for Lionel Messi and the spark the Catalonians desperately need going into the 2021-22 campaign.

The nature of Fati’s injury forced the starlet to miss out on his debut Euro Cup appearance and has undergone three surgeries till-date. Recent reports suggest that Barcelona are still unsure of the timeline for Fati’s return from injury.

#3 Memphis Depay

The Dutch international was Ronald Koeman’s top target in the transfer market. The Catalans managed to snap up their priority signing on a free transfer in the early days of the summer transfer window.

After a torrid time at Old Trafford, Memphis Depay rediscovered some of his best form in a five-year stint at Lyon. The 27-year old tallied 76 goals and 56 assists in 178 appearances for the Ligue 1 side and established himself as one of the most consistent goalscorers in European football.

Depay played a starring role in Lyon’s 2019-20 Champions League campaign, where he scored six goals in eight appearances to guide Les Gones to their first-ever semi-finals appearance.

The former Red Devil is expected to be one of the first names alongside Lionel Messi in Ronald Koeman’s starting XI. The Dutchman’s creative flair and an eye for goal could prove to perfectly complement Lionel Messi in the final third.

#2 Antoine Griezmann

Antoine Griezmann (left) and Lionel Messi

Despite exhaustive negotiations with his former club, Antoine Griezmann failed to reach an agreement with Atletico Madrid.

The Frenchman could very well remain a Barcelona player in the upcoming season and partner the likes of Lionel Messi and Memphis Depay in the forward line. Barcelona splurged £108 million on the talented forward in the summer of 2019, but things haven’t exactly gone to plan for either player or club.

If Griezmann remains a Barcelona player on 2nd September, when the Spanish transfer window draws to a close, he will have another chance to redeem his career at Camp Nou. Even though the 30-year old has not registered his best numbers for Blaugrana, Griezmann is one of the most talented and skilled forwards going around in modern football.

The Frenchman could either reprise his No. 9 role or play in a wider position - providing width in attacking scenarios, along with Memphis Depay. This could provide much-needed support to Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero, who will operate centrally.

#1 Sergio Aguero

After 10 glorious years at the Etihad, Sergio Aguero will join forces with his Argentine compatriot, Lionel Messi, at the Camp Nou for the upcoming season.

Kun Aguero is no stranger to Spanish football, having previously represented Atletico Madrid for a five-year spell between 2006 and 2011. The 33-year old will return to Spain as one of the most accomplished strikers in modern football and has the uncanny ability to consistently find the back of the net. In the 2020-21 season, Barcelona were too dependent on Lionel Messi for scoring goals, but the presence of Aguero in the upcoming season will reduce that burden.

The six-time Ballon d’Or winner played a part in 48% of Barcelona’s La Liga campaign last season. The recent signings of Aguero and Depay will afford Lionel Messi more freedom in his role as an attacking midfielder or on the right-wing.

After registering a staggering tally of 260 goals in 390 appearances for Manchester City, Sergio Aguero will look to enhance his legend at the Camp Nou.

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Edited by Arnav Kholkar