Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu revealed that the Catalan club had an "agreement in principle" to sign current Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior before he ultimately joined their rivals. Bartomeu made the disclosure while discussing past transfer dealings, indicating that Barcelona was close to securing the Brazilian forward. Vinícius Júnior eventually signed for Real Madrid in 2018 from Flamengo for a reported fee of around €45 million, though he officially joined the club in 2019 upon turning 18.

Bartomeu’s comments suggest a significant missed opportunity for Barcelona in the transfer market, as Vinícius has since developed into one of the world's elite attacking players. Furthermore, Bartomeu also touched upon the possibility of signing Kylian Mbappé, stating that while the club had discussions, a formal agreement was never reached. He noted that Mbappé was a player Barcelona admired, but the financial realities and negotiations did not materialize into a completed transfer, allowing Mbappé to eventually join Paris Saint-Germain before his move to Real Madrid was also heavily rumored.

These revelations shed light on the high-profile players who were once on Barcelona's radar during Bartomeu's tenure, highlighting the fine margins involved in securing top-tier global talent.