Barcelona had the chance to sign Kylian Mbappe back in 2017.
The Blaugrana decided to spend £124m for Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund who underwent a difficult spell at Camp Nou with his injuries.
The club apparently had the chance to sign PSG forward Kylian Mbappe from AS Monaco but chose Dembele instead who could leave Camp Nou for free next summer.
Dembele scored 30 goals and provided 21 assists in 118 appearances for the Catalan giants in the last four years.
“[Mbappe’s] signing was on the table, but the coaches preferred Dembele because they wanted a player to open the field,” Bartomeu said on Catalan TV channel Esport3.
He added: “Some of the transfers we have done have not met expectations, players who have cost a lot of money, but these things happen in football.
“When those two players were signed (Dembele and Coutinho), they were applauded by everyone. Coutinho came because [Andres] Iniesta was going. He was the best in the Premier League. Dembele came because of Neymar’s departure.”
See More: Top 5 Barcelona Transfers: Players to be sold in Summer 2021
