Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann, Luis Suarez, Ousmane Dembele, Malcom and Philippe Coutinho.
Not a bad selection, is it?
They are the attacking players available within Barcelona’s first-team squad at the moment.
If the club had the necessary funds this summer, you could have added Neymar‘s name to that list.
Antoine Griezmann’s signing from LaLiga rivals Atletico Madrid freshens up the frontline with the Frenchman expected to make it into the starting eleven right from the off.
Just how will Ernesto Valverde piece Barcelona together in the attacking third?
Messi just turned 32 a month ago but he’s still undoubtedly the best player on the planet. Barca’s number 10 amended his game in recent years when he lost that yard of pace and in some ways, his performances even went up a level.
Suarez is also 32 now but he still managed 21 LaLiga goals last season. The Uruguayan has shown some signs of mortality in comparison to Messi but he won’t be accepting a place on the Barcelona bench just yet.
Ousmane Dembele will be looking to push on this season after an injury-hampered first couple of years at Camp Nou for the former Rennes and Borussia Dortmund winger.
Malcom featured mainly in the Copa del Rey for Barcelona in 2018/19. The Brazilian only made 6 starts in LaLiga so he too will be expecting to feature more under Valverde over the next ten months.
It’s no secret that former Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho endured a torrid time at Barcelona in his first season. It’s still unclear what the future holds for the little magician. However, with Griezmann immediately handed Coutinho’s number 7 shirt upon his arrival, things don’t look rosy for Barcelona’s record signing.
Valverde faces several challenges in the season ahead – keeping players happy looks like it will be the toughest job of all.
Will Griezmann be expected to slot in alongside Suarez and Messi in a front three? Griezmann’s natural game sees him occupy much of the same space Messi does, coming in off the right-hand side of the attack.
My belief is that Griezmann, Suarez and Messi will start off as this season’s attacking trio for Barcelona. If it works well from the off, then don’t expect to see much change from that in LaLiga fixtures or the Champions League.
Dembele and Malcom will most likely provide cover from the bench as they bide their time, waiting for the careers of both Suarez and Messi to fizzle out.
It’s anyone’s guess what Coutinho’s next couple of years are going to consist of but after being booed off at Camp Nou on several occasions last season he may have to leave his dream club to continue his career.
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