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#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
