5 players Barcelona signed alongside Frenkie de Jong in £220m summer transfer spree

The summer of 2019 was a time which Barcelona fans may look back on as being pivotal for the future of the club.

Barca were looking to come back strongly after their dramatic elimination from the previous season's Champions League, while manager Ernesto Valverde was trusted with a big transfer budget, having won La Liga in 2019. Three years on, though, and most of the group have gone - including Frenkie de Jong, who looks poised to join Manchester United in a deal worth an initial £56m.

De Jong joined off the back of a breakout season with Ajax, helping the Dutch side reach the Champions League semis themselves. However, the six signings were a mix of young talents, apparent sure things and a bit of squad padding.

The only thing Uniting the five who signed alongside the Dutchman is their failure to make the desired impact at Camp Nou. Here, Mirror Football takes a closer look at those signings and what came next.

De Jong was one of three new arrivals confirmed on July 1, with Emerson another. However, the deal for the Brazil international had been announced in January in a joint operation with Real Betis.

The right-back had spent the previous campaign on loan at Betis from Atletico Mineiro, and returned to Estadio Benito Villamarin on loan after becoming a Barca player. Two impressive seasons in Sevilla prompted Barca to exercise their option to welcome him 'back' in 2021, but he only played three times for them in La Liga before he was on the move again.

As financial issues hit Barcelona during Ronald Koeman's tenure, Emerson was sold to Tottenham Hotspur. "Do I feel used? Used is not the word, but the manner of it did hurt me," the defender said after his Barcelona dream ended abruptly.

The same day, we saw the