Published on 11:58 AM, February 10, 2024

Signing Mbappe would be 'worse' for Barca, says Deco

PSG's Kylian Mbappe. Photo: Reuters

Barcelona Sporting Director Deco said that they are not looking to sign French forward Kylian Mbappe as it would only make the Spanish club "worse".

Mbappe is out of contract with Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season and is widely expected to join Real Madrid on a free transfer.

Barcelona, unlike Real Madrid, have a very tricky financial situation. Even if they were to sign Mbappe, the club would have to off-load a few players. 

Speaking on Catalan radio station Esport3 regarding a possible Barcelona move for Mbappe, Deco explained why it would be a mistake to sign the French forward if it meant getting rid of two of their key players like Ronald Araujo and Frenkie de Jong. 

"I don't know what will happen with Mbappe. It would be a mistake to sell [Ronald] Araujo and Frenkie [de Jong]. I would like to improve the squad and not make it worse. I think it would be worse for the team if Araujo and Frenkie left and Mbappe came," Deco said. 

While Mbappe will not be heading to Camp Nou, Deco hinted that Barca might be open to the idea of keeping loan stars Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix around.