FC Barcelona Grades: Sergio Busquets, Alex Song, Xavi Hernandez, Jonathan Dos Santos

Sergio Busquets

Sergio Busquets continued to establish himself as one of the best players in the world. Vastly underrated at some point, it's now no secret that he is among the best holding midfielders in the world, if not the best. When fielded in more advanced positions, however, he wasn't exactly a great replacement for Xavi, calling into question the rumored plan for a double pivot.

Grade: A-

Alex Song

Song's lack of quality has become a running joke among Barca fans, somewhat unfairly. While miles behind Busquets, Song is not totally inept. He has shown on occasion an ability to make good touches. But on the whole, he's just not Barca quality and makes too many mistakes when reading the game. It's not a surprise that Luis Enrique wants him out.

Grade: D

Xavi Hernandez

This was perhaps the year Xavi's decline became really apparent. Still one of the best when it came to setting the tempo of the match and still possessing an outrageous first touch, Xavi nonetheless has started to fade. Age has caught up with other parts of his game. Namely, his positioning and defensive work rate - always under-appreciated parts of his genius in his prime - have become weaknesses. Xavi is still a hell of a player to have, but Barcelona's future lies on a different kind of midfielder.

Grade: C+

Jonathan Dos Santos

Jonathan made a few appearances early last season, and it seemed the old coach, Tata Martino, trusted him as a squad player. Unfortunately, he was injured badly and missed the rest of the term.

No grade