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Barcelona brought their 2019/20 LaLiga Santander campaign to an end with a remarkable 5-0 victory over 16th-placed Alaves. However, their campaign on the whole was anything but exceptional, even apart from the disruption caused by COVID-19.
The Blaugrana helplessly watched their fierce rivals Real Madrid lift their 34th LaLiga title. Barcelona finished five points below Los Blancos despite returning to football with a four-point lead over them. Their wasteful draws against Sevilla, Celta Vigo and Atletico Madrid, and a shocking 2-1 loss at the Nou Camp to Osasuna, saw them lose their lead.
Barcelona have come under immense criticism for a lot of decisions through the course of the campaign. Their transfer policy, for example, is a significant concern. The squad appears to require a revamp despite them spending over €700m on new players in the last few years.
The former LaLiga champions splashed over €250m on recruiting new players last summer. Although some players proved their worth, the jury is still out on a number of them. Here, we rank Barcelona's 2019/20 transfers from the worst to best.
Note: Although the transfer of Miralem Pjanic was completed this season, he is not included as he is yet to appear in a competitive game for Barcelona.
#5 Junior Firpo | Real Betis | €18m
There has been a lot of debate over Jordi Alba's consistency and ability to turn up in big games over the last two seasons. To give Alba a sense of competition and a reliable deputy, Barcelona parted with €18m to bring Junior Firpo to the Nou Camp. However, the move has failed to work out for both the club and the player. Firpo looked out of his depth and short of confidence when entrusted to start games for Barcelona.
He enjoyed a superb campaign with Betis last year and even assisted four goals apart from scoring three. The 23-year-old, unfortunately, couldn't step his game up upon his move to the Nou Camp and is now on the brink of an early exit. He could be on his way to Inter as part of a deal for Lautaro Martinez.
He played 21 games across all competitions for the Catalans but mostly had a season to forget in Barcelona.
#4 Neto | Valencia | €35m
Jasper Cillessen, Barcelona's former understudy to Marc-Andre ter Stegen, was keen on first-team football and wanted to leave the club. The Dutchman paved the way for Neto's arrival at the Nou Camp last summer in a deal worth €26m plus €9m in add-ons.
Neto, who has a solitary cap for Brazil, received just five starts across all competitions for Barcelona. His first season with Quique Setien's men was anything but eventful. In those five games — two in LaLiga, one each in Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League and Supercopa de Espana — he conceded seven goals, managing just one clean sheet.
Neto could be on the move again as Barcelona look to trim their squad ahead of the 2020/21 season. Arsenal were said to be interested in a potential summer move but are now content with Emi Martinez' superb string of performances in Leno's absence. As for Neto, it was a disappointing season on an individual level and a signing that did not benefit the club.
Also read: 5 Most valuable U-23 forwards in the world
#3 Martin Braithewaite | Leganes | €20m
Martin Braithwaite looked set to help relegation-threatened Leganes avoid the drop with his six goals and two assists for the club. However, all of that changed when Barcelona came calling for the Dane as a replacement for the injured Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele. Barcelona paid €18m for the Leganes striker and completed their only notable winter signing.
However, Braithwaite barely managed to make any sort of mark during his spell at the Nou Camp so far. He received just four starts since his arrival, and 11 games overall, in which he had only one goal to show for. That strike came upon Barcelona's return to football in a 4-0 thrashing of Mallorca.
Braithwaite was an emergency signing who could have, perhaps, had a longer career at the Nou Camp, but that is not the case. The 29-year-old looks out of place in Barcelona's star-studded forward line. The former Middlesborough striker is likely to be offloaded by the Catalans ahead of the 2020/21 season.
Given that Leganes also got relegated after a 2-2 draw on the final day of the season, the deal failed to work out for both clubs as well as the player involved.
#2 Antoine Griezmann | Atletico Madrid | €120m
One of the three €100m+ signings made by LaLiga's top three clubs in the summer, Griezmann has had a frustrating debut campaign with the former champions. The World Cup-winner was brought in with the hope of reducing the burden carried by Lionel Messi in the scoring and creativity departments.
Despite his evident quality, Griezmann looked uncomfortable for large parts of the season because he was deployed in wider roles. Both Ernesto Valverde and Setien opted for Luis Suarez through the middle, an area where Griezmann excels, which pushed him to the left flank. He registered his lowest LaLiga tally in over half a decade, scoring just nine goals and setting up four in 35 games.
Although Griezmann has been given assurances by the board ahead of next year, it was an incredibly disappointing season for a player of his ilk. Barcelona would hope that Setien finds a way for the 29-year-old to coexist with their skipper Lionel Messi. If not, it could ultimately be another massive transfer fee spent on a player they will look to cut ties with in the near future.
#1 Frenkie de Jong | Ajax | €75m
After being one of the driving forces behind Ajax's dream UCL run, Frenkie de Jong arrived at the Nou Camp amidst much fanfare. The Dutchman moved for a fee of €75m with the hope of making himself an influential figure in the Catalans' midfield.
De Jong managed to do precisely that as he established himself as a vital member of the Barcelona core. The 23-year-old was far from his best but has already shown his new employers why they parted with such a massive fee for him. He's been calm on the ball, is an excellent passer and more crucially, the ex-Ajax man is a superb ball-carrier. De Jong has brought in the right elements that could help take their midfield to a new level.
He will be one of the leading players that Barcelona would hope to build a team around as they prepare an assault on the league title and the UCL. At 23, De Jong has an incredibly high ceiling and could go on to become even more pivotal for the Blaugrana. He's played 29 of their league games this season, racking up two goals and assists.
De Jong is, by far, the best new Barcelona recruit in the 2019/20 season.
Also read: Lautaro Martinez set to reject Manchester City in favour of Barcelona
