Data suggests Barcelona midfielder will improve his numbers from debut campaign this season | OneFootball

Barcelona are convinced that Dani Olmo will reach his peak level in his second season at the club.

According to SPORT, both manager Hansi Flick and sporting director Deco strongly believe that the Spanish international has yet to show his best in a Barça shirt, and all signs suggest they could be right.

Olmo’s debut season was not easy. Injuries disrupted his rhythm and prevented him from playing with full consistency. Even so, his contribution was vital in Barcelona’s La Liga triumph.

Impressive despite fitness issues

The midfielder, who is likely to start against Levante, finished the campaign with 12 goals and six assists. In fact, eight crucial points in the league came directly from his boots.

This includes a brace against Rayo Vallecano on his debut, two more goals against Espanyol, the winning strike away at Las Palmas, and another decisive goal against Mallorca in the 1-0 victory on matchday 33.

Barcelona are hoping to see the best version of Olmo this season. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Without these moments, Barcelona’s title race could have looked very different.

A pattern of second-year growth

History also backs the belief that Olmo will shine brighter in his second season. At both Dinamo Zagreb and RB Leipzig, the midfielder showed clear improvement after his first year.

In Croatia, his first full season with Zagreb’s senior team ended with nine goals. In the following campaign, he bettered that with 12 goals and three assists – his best numbers there.

A similar story unfolded in Germany. After scoring five goals and registering one assist in his first half-season with Leipzig in 2019/20, he stepped up significantly the following year, delivering seven goals and 11 assists in 2020/21.

Olmo will want to start the new season with hunger and determination. In pre-season, he helped Barcelona to three wins and looked sharp in his debut match against Mallorca.