Barcelona were close to signing Kylian Mbappe in 2017, reveals former director

Speaking to El Chiringuito TV, former Barcelona director Javier Bordas has revealed that Kylian Mbappe could have joined the club back in 2017 when Neymar left for PSG.

The Blaugrana lost Neymar to PSG after they triggered his release clause worth €222 million and the club were left scouring the market for a replacement.

And, Bordas claims that he stepped in to try and engineer a move for Mbappe, who had just won the Ligue 1 title with AS Monaco at the time.

The former director stated that he had spoken to the Frenchman’s father regarding a transfer and that it could have happened in 2017.

However, the Blaugranas decided to go in a different direction and brought in Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund instead, roping in him for a fee of €135 million, including add-ons.

“If I had been in charge, Mbappe would have played for Barça. When they paid €222 million for Neymar, we had money to sign him. But the management preferred Dembele,” Bordas remarked.

Mbappe could have been at Barcelona. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)

“I went for Mbappe, I talked to his father, he would have come to Barça. For a moment I thought that on the 30th we had him.”

Having missed out on Mbappe seven years ago, Barcelona will now see him sign with their arch-rivals Real Madrid in the summer on a free transfer, as his contract at PSG stands to expire.

Before that, though, the Blaugrana will face off against the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner, as well as Dembele, as they take on PSG in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals this month.

The first leg will be played on April 10 at Parc des Princes before the reverse fixture takes place in Montjuic on April 16.