Former Barcelona director Javier Bordas has revealed how the club missed out on signing Kylian Mbappe to replace Neymar.
AS Monaco wanted a deal and Mbappe’s father suggested they were open to a move, but Barcelona instead signed Ousmane Dembele based on the advice of technical secretary Robert Fernandez.
The Blaugrana were in need of a new superstar forward after Neymar’s world-record €222m transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017, and Bordas has revealed that Mbappe was on their radar.
The 21-year-old was hot on everybody’s wishlist that summer after a breakthrough campaign led to Ligue 1 success and a Champions League semi-final appearance with Monaco.
🗣 — Javier Bordas: "I called Mbappé's father and he told me that he was not going to go to Madrid because Cristiano, Benzema and Bale were there and instead he could go to Barça because Neymar had left. The president of Monaco also preferred us over PSG." pic.twitter.com/JSy16ozLXQ
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) November 15, 2020
But Fernandez’s preference to bring in more width to the Blaugrana squad saw a sensational Camp Nou move for Mbappe slip through their fingers.
“When we were to sign Dembele, agent Josep Maria Minguella called me to tell us Mbappe was within reach,” Bordas told Mundo Deportivo.
“I spoke with Josep Maria Bartomeu and he told me to look at him.
“I called Mbappe’s father and he told me that we was not going to go to Real Madrid because Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale were there and that instead he could go to Barca because Neymar had left.
“The president of Monaco preferred that he signed for Barcelona so as not to reinforced PSG, a direct rival. And it could have been done for €100m (£90m/$118m).
“Robert preferred Dembele and Pep Segura supported him. The explanation was that Mbappe plays for himself and Dembele plays for the team, and since a winger like Ney had left, Robert preferred a winger more than a finisher.”
Dembele joined Barcelona instead on a €130m deal from Borussia Dortmund, but has yet to hit his stride amid an injury-ridden three full seasons so far.
The World Cup winner has 22 goals and 17 assists in 82 appearances to his name.
Mbappe, meanwhile, joined PSG and has already clocked 97 goals and 58 assists in just 132 matches.
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