Napoli striker Dries Mertens has revealed Barcelona tried to sign him.
Speaking to HLN, Mertens admits he could've pushed harder for the move.
He said, “If I'd known Neymar was going to leave… There was interest from them for a while, but I would've been the reserve to Leo Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, so after a great year at Napoli, I didn't want to go back on the bench, even if it was Barcelona.
“I decided to sign a new contract here and then Neymar went to Paris Saint-Germain, so the transfer market exploded. Barcelona, seeking a replacement, paid €100m for a player they should've shelled out half for," he said referring to Ousmane Dembele.
“At times I think: 'What would I be like now at Barcelona.' I like to think that, because if you look at who has been playing on the left there in recent months… I could've played there."
Source: tribalfootball.com