Several of soccer's finest players have called Barcelona their cradle in the recent past. In addition to the talented rising stars of Ansu Fati and Pedri's caliber, the roster included the likes of Neymar, Luis Suarez, and Lionel Messi.

After a poor 2021-22 season, Joan Laporta had a daunting challenge when the summer transfer market opened this summer. Thus, he completed the transfer of trio Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Jules Kounde for over €150 million, including Andreas Christenson and Franck Kessie through Bosman moves.

This time, the Blaugrana managed to snatch the majority of them out of the competition's hands. However, it's safe to say that they have lost out on a number of talented players throughout the years.

Why Barcelona didn't want to sign Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland before?

The Athletic's investigation into the club has revealed that Xavi Hernandez's squad has failed to bring in two high-potential acquisitions in the recent past, which may have had a significant influence on the team's success. Specifically, they are talking about Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

According to the report, Barcelona were given the chance to acquire a teenage Kylian Mbappe when he was at Monaco. Agent Junior Minguella from Spain offered them the opportunity. Ultimately, in 2017, Paris Saint-Germain snagged him on an initial loan after the La Liga side passed it up. What is more, Erling Haaland was no exception.

Similarly, the Norwegian was earlier deemed unsuitable for their needs. While being on Salzburg's books, he was approached by Barcelona and offered a deal. Trying to fix their past mistakes, the Camp Nou outfit tried to recruit the then Borussia Dortmund striker this summer and even traveled to Germany to talk with him.

A player like the 22-year-old was considered as a fantastic asset for the club in the years to come, and was preferable to the veteran acquisition of Robert Lewandowski. However, it was Manchester City who ended up signing him this July by paying his €60 million release clause.