Barcelona missed out on signing Kylian Mbappe in 2017 in favour of Dembele: Football agent

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Kylian Mbappe's thrilling hat-trick against Barcelona had the Blaugrana sweating at Camp Nou. Apart from the failure to defend against the Frenchman, the club would also be regretting their decision to let go of Mbappe's signing in favour of Borussia Dortmund winger Ousmane Dembele in 2017. 

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Kylian Mbappe hat-trick will haunt Barcelona 

Mbappe struck thrice against Barcelona to put his side in the front in the two-legged Champions League fixture. Although Lionel Messi opened the scoring from the spot, the 22-year-old equalised in the first half, showcasing his utmost composure in a tight space. 

He went on to score twice in the second half, apart from a scintillating header from Moise Kean. This was Mbappe's first appearance against Barcelona and it surely was an unforgettable night for the Parisians. Interestingly, Barcelona would be upset over a decision they took a few years ago. 

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Barcelona opt Dembele over Mbappe 

Following Neymar's move to PSG, the Catalan giants were on the hunt for another young sensation to run riots on the left flank. And Barcelona went on to sign Borussia Dortmund forward Ousmane Dembele. But there was a real possibility for the club to have signed Mbappe instead. 

Speaking to Radio Marca, football agent Junior Minguella cites a club director's claims to give credence to Barcelona's interest in the PSG superstar then. He reveals there was informal confirmation on Neymar's exit beforehand. But the club did not want to act in haste until it was confirmed by the Brazilian himself.

Once Neymar's exit was officially confirmed, Barcelona had the option to sign either Mbappe or Dembele. But Barcelona deemed the then-Dortmund forward as a better option than Mbappe. When fans questioned Minguella's claims, he took to Twitter to share the screenshots of his WhatsApp conversation with Javier Bordas, a former sporting director at Barcelona. 

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Agent reveals WhatsApp conversation to prove Barcelona's transfer debacle 

The WhatsApp conversation, when translated, suggests that Minguella shared the contact details of the then-Monaco president Vadim Vasilyev. But Javier Bordas apologised in his response, informing him that the club were keen on Dembele and Mbappe wasn't even an option for the coaches. 

Minguella appears to put out a word of caution in the conversation, expressing his disagreement with the coaches, while also hoping to be proven wrong. But his claims have turned out to be true as Mbappe, whose net worth is estimated at $45 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, has gone on to become one of the best players in the world, while Dembele's time at Barcelona has been marred with frequent injuries. 

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Note: The Kylian Mbappe net worth has been sourced from the above-mentioned website. This website does not guarantee a 100% accuracy in the Mbappe net worth figure. 

Image courtesy: Ousmane Dembele Instagram, PSG Twitter