Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu blamed others at the club for choosing to sign Ousmane Dembele instead of Kylian Mbappe in 2017.
Bartomeu, who resigned in disgrace last year amid legal investigation, says the coaching staff recommended Dembele because the winger could do a better job of opening up the field.
Since then, Mbappe has gone on to largely fulfil his potential while Dembele has seen his career stalled massively by injuries.
"[Mbappe's] signing was on the table, but the coaches preferred Dembele because they wanted a player to open the field," Bartomeu said, as reported by AS.
On the now-criticised moves for Dembele and Philippe Coutinho, he said: "Some of the transfers we have done have not met expectations, players who have cost a lot of money, but these things happen in football.
