Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has heaped praise on two of his players, who he believes have been as important as Lionel Messi in the 2020-21 season.
Barcelona endured a tough start to the 2020-21 La Liga campaign. The Catalan giants initially languished outside the top four but turned things around at the beginning of the year. However, their efforts were all for naught, as Ronald Koeman's side finished the season in third place, with only the Copa Del Rey to their name.
Nevertheless, there have been some standout players for Barcelona this season. Lionel Messi led the way as expected, but Ronald Koeman has now named two other stars who he believes were also important to his side this season.
Speaking to the media ahead of Barcelona's final league game against Eibar, the Dutchman said:
"There are three or four players who have put in a tremendous effort, I don’t mean the others haven’t, but Messi, Pedri and Frenkie [de Jong] have played the most minutes."
Both Frenkie De Jong and Pedri were regulars in Ronald Koeman's Barcelona side throughout the season.
De Jong was utilized as both a midfielder and a center-back. Meanwhile, Pedri was deployed both centrally and in wide positions.
Lionel Messi's future at Barcelona still uncertain
Lionel Messi had a spectacular season for Barcelona and ended up winning the Pichichi despite having a slow start to the campaign. However, with only a month left on his contract, the Argentinian superstar's future is still up in the air.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta stated earlier this year that renewing Lionel Messi's contract would be the club's primary objective. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner has been heavily linked with a move away from Camp Nou.
However, Barcelona are confident that Lionel Messi will sign an extension before his contract expires at the end of June.
The Catalan giants are close to finalizing the signing of Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero. Laporta believes this signing could be the key to making Lionel Messi extend his contract at the club.