The Euros 2020 is almost upon us and we will get to witness one of the biggest competitions in the world in a few days. The top European nations will battle it out to decide who is the best nation of them all in terms of footballing prowess and no one will be wanting to head home early. This is a time for club players to stand up for their national team and leave the season behind them, especially some Barcelona stars, to concentrate in one of the most prestigious international tournaments.
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Barcelona players did not have their best season last season and they will be hoping that their run in the Euros will be more fruitful. Several Catalan players have been called up by their national team managers and they will have to defend their national flags in the upcoming tournament.
Although Portugal are the current defending champions, former powerhouses like Spain and Germany, and newer powerhouses like Belgium and England will be hoping to dethrone them. Players such as Pedri, Jordi Alba, Clement Lenglet, etc. will be featuring in the tournament and will be hoping to win the cup with their respective teams.
It will be a good break from club football however, they will still need to be at their best to impress their national team coaches, and get recalled for the next international tournament. Today we will be looking at the top five players you must keep an eye out for in the upcoming tournament.
1. Sergio Busquets (Spain)
For the first time in history, the Spanish national team will be participating in a tournament without any Real Madrid player. This means that their long-time club captain, Sergio Ramos, will also be missing out on the tournament. This is a big shock to all the fans as the Real Madrid captain was also the national team captain for a long time. This will change this year as now the armband will go to Barcelona legend, Sergio Busquets.
The veteran central-midfielder will be captaining a relatively young Spanish side into the Euros and they will be hoping to enjoy miracles under the leader’s captaincy. Busquet was once the best holding midfielder in the world and even though his age has caught up with him now, he is still a formidable opponent and can control the midfield quite well. The Catalan will have a lot of responsibilities on his shoulders however, his relationship with Luis Enrique will ensure that his Euro journey will be relatively without any bumps.
His performance in the Euros will also confirm his position at Barca next season. Due to his age, the current president might be willing to sell him in the current transfer market; however, if he has a successful campaign, he will most definitely be retained by the club. Thus Busquests is one of the players all Barca fans should keep their eyes on.
2. Ousmane Dembele (France)
The second player on this list is former Borussia Dortmund player, Ousmane Dembele. The 24-year-old winger is one of Barcelona’s most expensive signings and he has completely failed to live up to the price tag. He had a decent season under Ronald Koeman last season however, he was only given the chance due to the unfortunate injury of Ansu Fati.
The player’s recent performances along with his young age still makes him a very marketable player and Barcelona even tried to sell Dembele to Manchester United last season. However, the move ultimately did not go through and he remained at Camp Nou. Now in a financially broken state, Laporta might be willing to sell him again, thus he will need a big performance in the Euro 2021.
Should the player step up for France in a big manner and put in some key individual performances, Laporta might give him a contract extension. Although the president of Barca had previously stated that he loved the Frenchman, a poor display in the Euros could mean his eventual exit from the club. Barcelona fans should keep an eye on him as this tournament could decide his future in their team.
3. Antoine Griezmann (France)
Another big signing who failed to live up to expectations is Antoine Griezmann. The French national, who is already 30, does not have much going for him apart from a decent 2020/21 season. The arrival of Memphis Depay and Sergio Aguero would definitely send Griezmann to the bench.
Thus instead of having a world-class player on the bench, Laporta would like to cash him in and sell him this transfer window. While it will be tough to break even on the player considering the fact that they paid 120 million euros for him.
However, his stats last season combined with a good Euro campaign could bump his value quite a bit and it would benefit Barcelona a lot in terms of finance. Griezmann had an inconsistent season under Ronald Koeman however, he had a few great spells and managed to have his best season at Camp Nou statistically.
His 20 goals and 12 assists in all competitions are a great figure and if France can emulate their 2018 World Cup-winning form, Griezmann’s value will skyrocket. Barca fans should closely follow this player as a successful campaign would mean a good amount for his sale which could fund the transfers of other players such as Erling Haaland.
4. Pedri (Spain)
One of Barcelona’s most important players last season was 18-year-old Pedri. The youngster came into the club from UD Las Palmas for a fee of just 5 million euros and he went on to make over 50 appearances for the club.
This was an extraordinary achievement for the player as he would probably not have thought that he would have had such an impact on the team when he first signed for the club. However, under Koeman he has been transformed into a world-class midfielder and Barca fans cannot wait to see what else the player has to offer. His incredible season guaranteed him a place in the Spanish national team for the Euros.
Now he has a chance to show off his skills at the international level. His Euro campaign will be closely watched by every Barca fan as they just cannot get enough of the player. A successful season would guarantee his place in the first team for next season and thus this is one player you must watch out for in the Euros.
5. Memphis Depay (Netherlands)
27-year-old Memphis Depay has been linked with Barcelona for an entire season now however, due to financial constraints, the Catalans have been unable to acquire him. The player himself declared that he would love to play for the Blaugrana, and now that he is a free agent, he can finally fulfill his dreams of playing for them.
The Catalans have already brought in three players, two of them being free agents, Eric Garcia and Sergio Aguero. Thus it seems that it is very likely that Joan Laporta will also bring Depay to the club on a free transfer. It is only a matter of time before the Dutchman is announced as an official Barca player and thus the Catalan fans will surely want to see his performance in the Euros.
The winger has been phenomenal for the Netherlands recently and he even scored two goals in their recent 2-2 draw against Scotland. This is one player the Catalans should observe in Euros as they will get a better sense of the player who is very likely to lead their attack next season.
Which Barca player are you following during the Euros?