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Former Barcelona chief Javier Bordas has revealed that Barcelona turned down the chance to sign Kylian Mbappe in 2017.
Mbappe was one of the most highly-touted young prospects at the time. He completed a move from AS Monaco to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2017, initially on loan, then permanently.
Bordas, though, has revealed that Barca had the chance to sign the Frenchman, but they opted for Ousmane Dembele instead. Bordas added that the Catalan club could have signed both players, saying (via Daily Star):
"If I had been in charge, Mbappe would have played for Barca. I moved for Mbappe, he could have come to Barca. We didn' specify a price but he would have gone for €100 million. The coaches told us they wanted Dembele because of the other players we had. There was the option to bring them both."
Barcelona signed Dembele from Borussia Dortmund for a reported £135 million fee. The Frenchman had an injury-plagued stint at the club, scoring 40 goals and providing 43 assists in 185 matches in around six years.
Dembele joined PSG last summer for a reported £43.5m million fee and is now teammates with Kylian Mbappe at the club level. Mbappe, meanwhile, is expected to leave the Parisian club in the summer, and Real Madrid are the favorites to sign him on a free transfer.
Javier Pastore backs Kylian Mbappe to come good against Barcelona
Barcelona defeated PSG 3-2 in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg at the Parc des Princes on April 10. Apart from scoring three goals, Xavi's side did a phenomenal job of minimizing Kylian Mbappe's threat.
The two European giants are set to lock horns in the second leg on Tuesday, April 16. Former PSG midfielder Javier Pastore has tipped Mbappe to come good in the important second leg, saying (via Barca Universal):
"I am convinced that on Tuesday, we will see a great Mbappe. Knowing him a little, he is the player who will most want to qualify. With PSG's need to score, he'll assume the responsibility to play a great game."
While Kylian Mbappe didn't score in the first leg against Barcelona, he has four goals in three matches against the Azulgrana. This season, he has scored 39 goals and has provided nine assists in 41 matches across competitions. Mbappe has scored six goals in nine UEFA Champions League games so far.
