Barcelona chief asked "what he’s smoking" after Ousmane Dembele and Mbappe claim

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has been asked "what he's smoking" after he made an audacious claim about Ousmane Dembele in comparison to French compatriot Kylian Mbappe.

Dembele set Barcelona back an astonishing £135million back in 2017, but the star has been riddled with injury which has led to his move being somewhat of a flop.

To make matters worse, the Frenchman could leave the club for free as his contract expires at the end of the season, with Barcelona desperate to keep hold of the player due to their financial difficulties.

In what appears to be a desperate attempt to either attract interest or convince the player to stay, Laporta has made a wild claim against his star and Mbappe.

Laporta told Catalan channel TV3: "I like Ousmane Dembele, for me it’s clear: he’s better than Kylian Mbappe. He wants to stay and we want him to stay here.

"It’s about his agents bringing proposals to the player, we want to show him it's not just about money."

As you could expect, this caused a stir online with Twitter fans left bewildered by the claims, and one fan asked Laporta: "What is this guy is smoking?"

Can Ousmane Dembele ever reach Kylian Mbappe's level? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

One fan brutally responded with this stat: "Mbappe has more goals at Camp nou in 2021 than Dembele while just playing one game there."

Another claimed: "There isn't anyone out there who would actually believe Dembele is better than Mbappe. Why Laporta would just say that is crazy. I don't think he knows how to tell the truth."

Even high-street opticians Specsavers got in on the act, with their admin asking Laporta: "Eye test here we go."

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In truth, Mbappe is achieving the potential and trajectory that many expected Dembele would accomplish when making the jump from Borussia Dortmund, but the move really hasn't paid off.

The Frenchman has been linked heavily with a move to the Premier League, and although Barcelona are desperate to keep hold of Dembele, a fresh start may be required to revive his career.

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