Barcelona getting value for money with their two big buys: Griezmann and De Jong Barcelona They are now proving their worth

Frenkie de Jong was the Barcelona board's big gamble this summer as they looked to build for the future, hoping his quality would see him replace Sergio Busquets as the Catalan has recently reached the age of 31.

The club's efforts to sign the Dutch midfielder saw them beat some of the biggest and richest clubs in Europe to his signature, and president Josep Maria Bartomeu went to Amsterdam personally to seal the deal in January.

Antoine Griezmann was another major target for the club, having pursued him for two years and not given up in their hope of bringing him to Camp Nou.

His arrival was a controversial amongst the club's supporters and in the dressing room, but he was brought in alongside De Jong to help Barcelona overcome the hangovers of Rome and Liverpool to compete in Europe once again.

After spending 200 million euros, an immediate impact was expected and neither had quite lived up to expectations for Ernesto Valverde.

That was until the game against Eibar, where the Frenchman scored the first goal, set up Lionel Messi for the second and then started the move for the third goal, also marking his first goal away from Camp Nou.

With four goals and three assists to date, Griezmann is finally providing the numbers expected of him.

De Jong also stood out as the best in midfield, with a decisive contribution in the second goal and doing well defensively too, proving his best position is in the pivot role, which is currently occupied by Busquets.

Ipurua displayed the progress of both as they showed more growth in their adaptation to the team, a process that Valverde is keen to recognise as the club continues to have faith in both players.