Kylian Mbappé could have joined Barcelona, but staff prioritized Ousmane Dembélé, says ex-president Josep Maria Bartomeu
Kylian Mbappé has become Real Madrid’s cornerstone after arriving as a marquee signing from PSG. However, the Frenchman was close to joining Barcelona when he was still at AS Monaco. After the departure of Neymar Jr., the Blaugrana were looking for their next star on the left wing, ready to pay a huge transfer fee. While he was a clear option, the staff decided to prioritize the signing of Ousmane Dembélé, as revealed by former president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
“We didn’t want the players to leave for other teams, so we matched the offers. Neymar’s departure led other clubs to pay high amounts… We asked about Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, but the coaching staff preferred Dembélé. The only decision I made as president was the signing of Luis Suárez,” reveló Josep Maria Bartomeu, via Cadena SER.
After several brilliant seasons at AS Monaco, Mbappé pushed for a move away in 2017, with Real Madrid as the main interested party. However, he rejected that option, as Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale would not have guaranteed him a starting role. While he eventually signed for PSG for €180 million, he could have become a Barcelona player had they decided to pursue his signing instead of Ousmane Dembélé, who never truly shined at the club.
While Ousmane Dembélé went on to become one of the best players in the world, the Frenchman had a disappointing stint at Barcelona. Signed as one of the world’s most promising young talents, the Blaugranas expected him to make a major impact on the field, but injuries and poor decisions on field prevented him from shining. In contrast, Mbappé excelled at PSG, becoming the team’s best player, proving that the Spanish club’s decision was completely wrong.
Barcelona’s post-Neymar transfers: Three big failures under Bartomeu
Despite being one of the best players in the world, Neymar Jr. decided to leave Barcelona via his €222M release clause to PSG. While this record fee could have been key to rebuilding the squad, president Josep Maria Bartomeu and his front office instead chose to sign Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembélé, and Antoine Griezmann, all of whom ultimately failed to meet expectations and later left as free agents.
Far from acknowledging the failure of his decisions, Bartomeu chose to justify them in a surprising way: “It’s a shame. Dembélé has succeeded at PSG. Xavi said he shouldn’t have been let go. Maybe he was signed too young, I don’t know. Griezmann came to lead a generational transition, which I may have handled too late. I should have started it after the defeat in Liverpool, and I did it a year later,” he said, via Cadena SER.
In case the Blaugranas had pursued the signing of Mbappé in 2017, he likely would have formed an ideal partnership with Lionel Messi, becoming the cornerstone of the team for the future. Moreover, Coutinho and Dembélé would not have arrived, avoiding the multimillion-dollar failure that shook the club’s financial and sporting stability for years.