Unless they’re able to convince him otherwise, Barcelona is set to lose winger Ousmane Dembele for free once his contract expires at the end of the season.
That’s according to a recent report from SPORT, who claims the French wide-attacker is continuing to snub any attempts the club makes to renew his deal.
Despite joining the Catalan giants from Borussia Dortmund for a staggering £121.5m fee back in 2017, Dembele’s time at the Nou Camp has been majorly underwhelming.
Having featured in just 121 matches, in all competitions, since his arrival, Dembele has only managed to net on 30 occasions.
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However, at the age of just 24, there is no doubting that the France international’s career could be reignited – but a change of scenery may well be needed.
Although the winger was linked with a late summer move to Manchester United earlier this year, newly taken over Newcastle United have now been credited with having an interest.
It has been noted that although Barcelona would like to see him commit his long-term future to the club, Dembele’s agents are already listening to proposals from other clubs.
Although the Magpies are now considered the sport’s wealthiest club, convincing Dembele to make a shock switch to the North East will take some doing.
Currently sitting rock bottom of the Premier League, winless after 14 matches, Newcastle United and their new hierarchy face a mammoth task of bringing in talent in January in order to boost their chances of top-flight survival.
Whether or not the Geordies can pursue Dembele to become the face of their new era remains to be seen, however, one thing is for sure – landing the world’s eighth most expensive player on a free transfer would certainly be a major statement of intent.