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4 months ago
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Agent Josep Maria Minguella has been involved in many of FC Barcelona’s biggest deals over the decades, including the one that brought Lionel Messi to the club.
He could have played his role in the arrival of Kylian Mbappé, but the Blaugrana decided to take another direction.
Real Madrid announced the signing of the star on Monday evening, the culmination of a quest that lasted more than a decade. The Whites tried four times to recruit him, when he was a teenager at AS Monaco, at 18 when he left for Paris Saint-Germain, in 2022, then in 2024.
Barça came up empty
What is less known is that FC Barcelona also missed the opportunity to attack the French star, now from Madrid. Agent Josep Maria Minguella, who has been heavily linked with the club, told RadioMarca that Barcelona declined to pursue him in favor of Ousmane Dembele. His comments were reported by Sport.
“My son, who was in France, told me that Monaco was liquidating the team. So I spoke personally with the parents, the boy was 18 years old, and with Neymar leaving, he told me it would be a pleasure to go to Barça. I spoke to Barcelona about it and they told me that, for the same value, Ousmane Dembele suited them better. They thought the then Borussia Dortmund footballer was more suited to Barca’s way of playing. It’s a short story, but a sad one.”
It’s a story that has already been commented on by Minguella in 2022, and former manager Javier Bordas has also said that he tried to persuade the Blaugrana to sign Mbappé over Dembele in the past.
Written by:
Manu Tournoux is a passionate and knowledgeable football enthusiast with a special focus on French football. Born and raised in France, Manu discovered his love for the beautiful game at a young age and developed a deep understanding of the ins and outs of "Le Championnat." His French roots and extensive experience in football journalism have made him an invaluable asset to the French Football Weekly team.
 
 As an author for the website, Manu's expertise includes not only in-depth analysis of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches but also insightful profiles of up-and-coming talents, detailed transfer news, and engaging coverage of the French national team. His captivating writing style and undeniable passion for the game have earned him a loyal following among our readers.
 
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