5 most valuable players at Barcelona currently

Barcelona, along with Real Madrid, are one of the most successful teams in Europe's top five leagues.

The Blaugrana's tally of 28 La Liga titles is dwarfed only by Los Blancos. Meanwhile, in the Champions League, they are one of only five teams to have won the competition five times. Barcelona are also one of just two teams to have won the continental treble twice.

Considering their rich history and pedigree, many top players have graced the club over the years. Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta are arguably the three greatest players in Blaugrana history. The current lot also has a few players who have played with the aforementioned trio.

Despite being in a transitional period at the moment, the Blaugrana have a few players who could help return the club to their halcyon days. On that note, here's a look at the five most valuable Barcelona players at the moment:

#5 Memphis Depay - €45 million

Memphis Depay arrived at the Camp Nou last summer.

Memphis Depay arrived at Camp Nou from Lyon on a free transfer last summer. The Dutch forward had a bright start to life at his new club, producing goal contributions in his first three league games.

However, he seems to have cooled off since then, and now has eight goals and two assists in 23 games across competitions. All eight strikes have come in the league, where the fifth-placed Blaugrana trail league leaders Real Madrid by 15 points, albeit with a game in hand.

He bore the brunt of criticism for not providing a goal contribution in six games in the Champions League, where the Blaugrana finished third. Depay will hope to catch fire in the second half of the season as Xavi seeks a turnaround in his team's fortunes.

#4 Marc Andre Ter Stegen - €45 million

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has been at Barcelona for almost a decade.

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has been with the Blaugrana for almost a decade. Since arriving at the Camp Nou in the summer of 2014, the former Borussia Monchengladbach custodian has made over 300 appearances for the club.

In his first season at Camp Nou, Ter Stegen won the continental treble. He has won three more league titles and four Copa Del Rey trophies, among others. The 29-year-old remains the undisputed number one at the club.

However, Ter Stegen's performances have been inconsistent recently, which has also been a reason for Barcelona's struggles. He remains the first-choice custodian for now, but there have been reports of his exit from Camp Nou.

#3 Ansu Fati - €60 million

Ansu Fati is one of the most exciting players to have emerged from Barcelona's La Masia academy in recent years.

Since breaking into the Blaugrana first team in 2019-20, Fati has spent multiple spells on the sidelines due to injury. However, the teenager has still managed over 50 appearances across competitions, contributing 18 goals and seven assists. Six of those goal contributions (five goals and an assist) have come this season.

Fati made headlines at the start of the season for inheriting club legend Lionel Messi's iconic number 10 jersey. The Argentinian notably left for Paris Saint-Germain last summer after a long-drawn transfer saga.

Under another club legend Xavi, Fati would look to produce a strong finish to the campaign.

#2 Frenkie de Jong - €70 million

Frenkie de Jong has had a decent stint with the Blaugrana.

Frenkie de Jong has had a decent stint with Barcelona since his arrival at the club in the summer of 2019.

The former Ajax star quickly became a first-team regular with the Blaugrana, having racked up over 100 appearances across competitions. After a breakout campaign in 2019-20, De Jong is yet to hit his stride this season, bagging only two goals and as many assists across competitions. Nevertheless, he has developed a knack of netting key late goals.

Despite reports of his Camp Nou exit, the €85-million arrival is set to play a key role as Xavi seeks a strong end to his debut season in charge of the club.

#1 Pedri - €80 million

Pedri has been a standout performer for club and country.

Pedri is one of the youngest players in the Barcelona squad, but also happens to be the most valuable, and for good reason.

The 19-year-old has displayed maturity and composure beyond his tender years. He has already made 50 appearances for the Blaugrana across competitions, including all but one league game last season. Last summer, he also starred for Spain at Euro 2020 (lost to Italy in the semis) and the Tokyo Olympics (lost to Brazil in the fina)l.

Thanks to his staggering exploits, Pedri won the Golden Boy award at the Ballon d'Or ceremony last year.

He has made only seven appearances this season due to injury. Pedri hobbled off in the Copa Del Rey defeat to Athletic Bilbao on January 20, but returned to play 90 minutes in the subsequent league fixture against Alaves. Keeping him fit will be key if Barcelona are to end the season strongly.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Anantaajith Raghuraman