Ahead of El Clásico, former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu made a sensational statement. According to him, Vinicius Junior, now a Real Madrid star, was very close to joining the Catalans at the beginning of his career. This is reported by Goal.com .
Bartomeu stated that the club had reached an initial agreement with the then 17-year-old Flamengo forward. The parties had agreed to sign a contract once the player turned 18, but in the end, Real Madrid came up with a better offer and secured the Brazilian talent.
Vinicius Junior later confirmed this information, admitting that Barcelona offered more money, but he preferred the Real Madrid project from a sporting perspective. Now, as a La Liga and Champions League winner with the Madrid club, Vinicius has become one of the best forwards in the world.
Bartomeu also revealed that he had fought for Kylian Mbappe during that period. He spoke with the player's father several times, but Paris Saint-Germain won the transfer race. In Bartomeu's opinion, Mbappe preferred to stay in his homeland and play for the French club.
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