Ranking Pep Guardiola's 5 best Barcelona signings

#3 Javier Mascherano

Mascherano remained a vital cog for Barcelona throughout his tenure

Pep Guardiola has had an obsession with genius midfielders throughout his career as a coach and things were no different at Barcelona. He had two of the most accomplished players in the midfield position pulling strings for him, namely Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez.

In his future job, the Spaniard went on to develop many other mesmerizing midfielders who displayed grace and elegance. But he has also wanted a solid figure in the squad who can allow those gifted technicians to display their masterclass.

That was Javier Mascherano's importance to the Barcelona side and it could be argued that they miss him for his utmost conviction. The Argentine wasn't the biggest frame and was originally a holding midfielder, but was mostly utilised as a centre-back.

Signed for €20 million from Liverpool, this turned out to be another versatile signing by Guardiola. He was value for money and a true servant to Barcelona. A rough and expert tackler, Mascherano was lauded for his positional awareness and the reading of the game.

The ease with which he intercepted attacks was truly enjoyable. The Argentine also had the ability to supply long balls. It was not a trademark playing style of Guardiola's Barcelona, but with the defensive ace, they had the unpredictability.

The way the Spaniard helped Mascherano adapt to his new role was truly one of his biggest successes as a coach. The Argentine made 334 appearances in his time at Barcelona. He won five each of the La Liga and Copa del Rey titles, two Champions League trophies and two Club World Cups.

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#2 Dani Alves

Alves rejoined under Xavi to help him stabilize the club

Regarded by many as probably the best right back in Barcelona's history, Pep Guardiola deserves credit for bringing Dani Alves to the club. He was signed from Sevilla in 2008.

Now in his second spell with the club, the Brazilian is only going to cement his legendary status. His longetivity and and loyalty have endeared him to Barcelona fans.

Alves built a telepathic partnership with Lionel Messi and was lethal when allowed the space to venture forward. He marshaled the touchline extremely well and would give the wingers a run for their money on any day. The Brazilian really defined the role of a modern fullback and was world-class for nearly a decade.

The right-back was a serial winner and has won accolades everywhere he has gone. During his eight-year spell with Barcelona, he won six La Liga titles, three Champions League medals and four Copa del Rey trophies.

His 21 goals all came at crucial junctures and his 103 assists were proof of his clinicality in the final-third.

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#1 Gerard Pique

Pique has proudly worn the armband for the Catalans

Gerard Pique is the joint-highest scoring defender in the UEFA Champions League with Roberto Carlos at 16 goals. He was a product of the La Masia academy who had been taken away by Manchester United. However, he never really became a regular for the Red Devils given the competition at the club.

In 2008, Guardiola brought the Spanish defender back home, and as they say, the rest is history. With 592 appearances in his bag for the Catalans, Pique will always be a part of their history. A great leader and a tough competitor, he has always been an everpresent figure in their rearguard.

The Spaniard has always been a threat in the air from set pieces and has been equally effective in winning aerial duels. His passing has been top-notch and he reads the game pretty well.

Guardiola and the defender conquered La Liga thrice and the Champions League twice. After the Spanish tactician left, Pique collected five more Spanish top-flight trophies and one Champions League title.

It cannot be disputed that Pep Guardiola has given Barcelona some of its most loyal and fantastic players. Many of them have helped the club even after his departure.