Barcelona awards 2023-24: Best & worst player, best & worst transfer, top scorer

23 May 2024 13:30 CDT
4 min read

Xavi will be sacked by Barcelona at the end of the 2023/24 season — © IMAGO

The 2023/24 season was a turbulent one for Barcelona which ended in a failure to retain their La Liga title and a trophyless campaign resulting in a change of manager.

Xavi is set to be replaced by Hansi Flick this summer despite initially looking to stay at the club after announcing his intention to leave in February.

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But instead Barcelona will continue their transition under former Bayern Munich manager Flick as the Catalan giants battle economic instability and the likelihood of seeing multiple star players leave this summer.

FootballTransfers takes a look at Barcelona’s season and assesses the highlights and lowlights across a number of categories.

Barcelona Player of the Season

© IMAGO - Lamine Yamal has been a breakout star for Barcelona this season

Not many players will perhaps look back upon the campaign with much pride, however it was a breakout and record-setting debut season for wonderkid Lamine Yamal.

The 16-year-old featured in all but one of Barcelona’s league games, grabbing ten goal contributions along the way and becoming the youngest player to ever start for the club in La Liga.

STATS

36

Games
5

Goals
5

Assists

Barcelona Flop of the Season

© IMAGO - Joao Felix (left) has been disappointing this season

Joao Felix joined Barcelona on loan with the hope that he could resurrect his career, which was quickly derailing since his €127 million transfer to Atletico Madrid in 2019.

However, the 24-year-old will leave with just seven goals and three assists and starting only 18 times in a move he had hoped would seal a dream permanent transfer to Barca – but instead leaves Felix unconvincing to any clubs going forward.

Barcelona top scorer

© IMAGO - Robert Lewandowski could leave Barca this summer

Despite leading the way for Barcelona and scoring the fourth-highest goals in La Liga this season, Robert Lewandowski endured a frustrating campaign filled with criticism that could see the 35-year-old leave this summer.

The Pole scored 18 times and grabbed eight assists but that total was his lowest output since the 2014/15 season and Barcelona’s top earner will likely be pushed out this summer in order to save the club huge money.

STATS

34

Games
18

Goals
8

Assists

Barcelona Best Transfer

© IMAGO - Ilkay Gundogan joined Barcelona from Man City last summer.

Barcelona were forced to operate on the cheap last summer but the signing of Ilkay Gundogan was still a shrewd success after his free transfer from Manchester City.

The 33-year-old grabbed five goals and eight assists to provide much-needed experience and consistency in midfield and constitute as a rare success story in Barcelona’s recent history.

Barcelona Worst Transfer

While Felix was a disappointment, he still engineered some positive moments for Barca, however the same cannot be said for Oriol Romeu, who failed to provide the same type of quality as the signing of Gundogan.

It only cost Barca €3.5m to re-sign their former academy graduate from Girona but the 32-year-old looked painfully out of his depth and has two years remaining on his contract as essentially deadweight for the team in the future.

Barcelona best youngster

© IMAGO - Pau Cubarsi also broke into the Barcelona first team this season.

Unsurprisingly, teenage sensation Yamal was by far and away the club’s best young talent as well as the best player overall for Barcelona.

However, the emergence of Pau Cubarsi cannot be ignored either, with the 17-year-old impressing in 17 starts in La Liga and outlining his status as the future of Barcelona’s defence.