The former president of Barcelona, Josep Maria Bartomeu, stated that after Neymar's departure in 2017, the management considered transferring Kylian Mbappe. However, the then head coach Ernesto Valverde chose to transfer Usman Dembele.
"Barça Universal" quoted Bartomeu's words:
"Neymar's departure was a shock for the club. We did not want him to leave. After that, the club started looking for another player to replace him. We made one offer for Mbappe and another for Dembele. The coaching staff gave preference to Dembele. The coaching staff chose between Mbappe and Dembele." /publika.az