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#3 Pedri
Barcelona have always been blessed with some of the best creative midfielders in the world and seem to have unearthed yet another gem this season. At only 18 years of age, Pedri is already one of the most promising prospects in La Liga and has become a fan favourite at the Camp Nou.
The Spanish youngster has formed excellent relationships with Frenkie de Jong and Lionel Messi and has been one of Barcelona's most important players this season. The Catalans lacked vision and penetration in their build-up play last year and Pedri has effectively managed to solve many of Ronald Koeman's problems in the past few months.
The midfielder is versatile and has also played on the left flank on a few occasions for the Blaugrana. Pedri's ability to probe into the final third has eased the creative burden on Lionel Messi and has made Barcelona an attacking juggernaut in La Liga. The teenage prodigy also chips in with his fair share of recoveries and is well on his way to becoming a complete midfielder.
#2 Lionel Messi
By his own supernatural standards, Lionel Messi has had a poor season. The Argentine genius has been miles below his influential best for a majority of the season and seems to be bearing the brunt of an unnaturally hectic schedule.
While Messi has received his fair share of criticism this season, the statistics unsurprisingly remain in his favour. The Barcelona captain has already scored 16 goals this season and seems to be growing in confidence with a Blaugrana side that has shown steady improvement over the past few months.
Lionel Messi has pulled the strings for Barcelona for the past several years and his role in the final third has largely remained the same under Ronald Koeman this season. With Frenkie de Jong and Pedri carrying their weight in the midfield, Lionel Messi has chipped in with moments of magic this year and seems to be moving towards his unstoppable best.
#1 Frenkie de Jong
Barcelona's decision to appoint Ronald Koeman as their manager at the start of the season did have its fair share of detractors. The Dutch manager had to edge ahead of several candidates to secure the job and his relationship and experience with star midfielder Frenkie de Jong certainly worked in his favour.
De Jong joined Barcelona after a spectacular season at Ajax but found it difficult to fit into the Catalans' tactical system. Quique Setien and Ernesto Valverde largely failed to get the best out of the prodigious midfielder during their time at the club.
After a few trials and errors, Ronald Koeman has finally managed to inculcate Frenkie de Jong's magical abilities into a system that benefits the bigger picture for Barcelona. De Jong has played in an attacking role in recent weeks and has already scored five important goals for the Catalans.
Frenkie de Jong's versatility makes him one of Barcelona's most important players. The Dutchman has an innate ability to move with the ball and tends to bring the best out of his teammates. With De Jong showing steady improvement and the players around him sharing his creative burden, Barcelona may well restore their former glory in the months to come.
