Top 5 goalscorers for Barcelona in 2021
2021 was not kind on 26-time La Liga winners Barcelona. They didn't win the league last season, crashed out of the Champions League this term, and are practically out of the league title race already. To top it off, not only have they lost Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain, but they also lack the financial muscle to sign worthy replacements.
Amid the doom and gloom, very few players have managed to make the fans jump up in excitement this year. These chosen ones spread optimism through their goals, even in the face of imminent despair.
Here are five players, both current and former, who scored the most goals for Barcelona in 2021:
#5 Ousmane Dembele - 6 goals
Following Neymar's departure in 2017, Barcelona immediately went shopping for the next big thing in football. With Kylian Mbappe already plucked out by PSG, Barcelona went to Borussia Dortmund for Ousmane Dembele’s services.
The Blaugrana spent €135 million to bring Dembele to the Camp Nou and are still waiting patiently to get their money’s worth.
The Frenchman has had really poor luck in terms of injuries. Every time Dembele starts to get into a rhythm, he picks up a long-term injury, ruling him out for weeks and months. On his day, Dembele can take the fight to the best teams in the world, and new coach Xavi has backed the youngster to deliver.
Newcastle approached Ousmane Dembélé and his agents weeks ago to make a proposal - but the feeling is still optimistic for his contract extension with Barcelona. 🔴 #FCB #NUFC
Barça are confident to reach the final agreement in the next days, and Xavi is pushing to keep Ousmane.
In 2021, Dembele only hit the back of the net six times for Barcelona, which is disappointing for a player of his caliber. With some luck and consistency, we could see him multiply his tally over the next year.
#4 Frenkie de Jong - 7 goals
Barcelona went all-in for the signature of Frenkie de Jong in July 2019. The Ajax star cost Barcelona €86 million at the time, but no one, for once, doubted his quality.
Over the last couple of seasons, De Jong has been one of the first names on the team sheet for Barcelona. However, his performances have not always managed to woo the fans over.
His tally of seven goals and eight assists in 2021 is not bad, but his ball-play still needs a lot of work. His distribution and progressive plays have been decent against mediocre opponents, but he has not been able to deal with high-pressing teams.
Even against an aging midfield like Real Madrid’s, De Jong was outplayed, which is hardly a good look for Barcelona’s marquee midfielder.
Man Utd are finally going to sign a midfielder in January.
If Ralf Rangnick's idea is to have "two sixes" instead of one holding midfielder then I hope we try and sign Frenkie de Jong. Would be an unreal signing. https://t.co/GA49B2XWC3
De Jong, fortunately, has time on his side and could easily become one of the best if he puts his mind to it. He simply needs to take everything in his stride and approach the game like he used to at Ajax.