6 active Barcelona stars with the highest number of goals for the club
Following the expulsion of Josep Bartomeu and his board, Barcelona have had to partake in several cost-cutting measures just to make ends meet. The club are in dire financial ruins and have subsequently been forced to let go of multiple marketable names.
While Antoine Griezmann's exit was becoming more and more imminent with time, nobody expected Lionel Messi to exit Barcelona in this lifetime. To fill the colossal void generated by their departures, Barcelona appointed Memphis Depay and Ansu Fati as their heirs, issuing the beginning of a new era at the club.
Barcelona's top goalscorers of all time
While Depay and Fati have undeniable talent, they are both strangers to the current Barcelona legacy, having no history with the club. Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is the leading goalscorer at Camp Nou, a position he is expected to hold for ages due to his gargantuan output of 672 goals.
😢 Lionel Messi at @FCBarcelona...
🏆x10 La Liga
🏆x7 Copa del Rey
🏆x4 Champions League
🏆x3 Club World Cup
🥇x20 Top Scorers
🥇x6 Ballon d'Or
🥇x3 UEFA POTY
🥇x1 Fifa Men's POTY
🏟 778 Games
⚽️ 672 Goals
🅰️ 305 Assists
🐐 End of an era. https://t.co/1U0Hng5hML
However, before La Pulga's emergence, club legend Cesar Rodriguez held the distinction of being the top scorer for Barcelona for over 50 years. Hungarian veteran Laszlo Kubala and Messi's best mate Luis Suarez also make the list owing to their invaluable goalscoring contributions.
With no current Barcelona player even cracking the top 35 in the club's all-time scoring charts, there has been a significant shift in the player hierarchy at the club. Taking the recent restructuring of the team into consideration, let's have a look at five active Barcelona players with the most goals for the club:
#5 Sergio Busquets and Ansu Fati - 15 goals
Sergio Busquets and Ansu Fati share the fifth spot, with both players scoring 15 goals in their Barcelona careers. Busquets, who was recently appointed club captain following the departure of Lionel Messi, has been with the Catalan giants for more than 13 years now.
On the other hand, Fati just made his Barcelona debut in the past year, breaking numerous records due to his tender age. The youngster is arguably the most promising talent that La Masia has produced in years, becoming Messi's official heir after inheriting his fabled No.10 jersey.
Busquets: "Ansu Fati? He has renewed his contract and it is a huge joy. We all have to be aware of his age and that he comes from a very complicated injury. We have to help him and not burden him with pressure or excessive prominence."
Meanwhile, 33-year-old Busquets is a seasoned veteran with a colossal tally of 640 club appearances under his belt. The defensive midfielder is still one of the best in his position, despite experiencing a slight dip in form. While Busquets is a bonafide Barcelona legend, 18-year-old Fati has all the potential to become one in the future.
#4 Jordi Alba - 22 goals
A heavy restructuring of the Barcelona first team has led to Jordi Alba being bumped up to fourth place among his teammates in goalscoring terms. Known for his defensive and creative skills, Alba also provided 22 strikes in his nine-year spell with Barcelona.
A La Masia graduate, the Spaniard was let go by the club in 2005, eventually joining the youth setup in Valencia. However, a splendid Euro 2012 campaign compelled his former side to splash €14 million on him, snatching him from the clutches of the Bats.
Jordi Alba: The MVP of the game. #UCL https://t.co/ozt2CWUUck
In nine years, Alba has gone on to make the left-back position his own, showcasing his tackling as well as crossing abilities to the fullest. On top of that, the pacy defender has also contributed with 22 goals over the years, saving Barcelona on multiple occasions. His thunderous strike against Granada in the Copa del Rey quarter-final last season helped in sealing a 5-3 comeback and is arguably his most memorable goal for Barcelona.
Also read: 5 players who have produced the most assists for Lionel Messi