Express reporter Ryan Taylor has told Give Me Sport that Newcastle have already tabled a ‘big’ pre-contract offer to sign Barcelona wide man Ousmane Dembele. The Frenchman was linked with a move in January.
Dembele, 24, has returned from injury at Barcelona to play 11 times since November – with Xavi keen to keep the 2018 World Cup winner. But he is out of contract in the summer, and Barca wanted him gone in January.
A move did not materialise. It sees Barcelona forced to fork out his enormous wages until the end of the season. Xavi did want a new deal but it seems a move for Dembele is inevitable – on a free transfer.
The Premier League seems like the place he will end up. All of the Premier League’s big guns have been linked – Newcastle especially. Taylor claims that the Toon have already made a pre-contract offer to nab Dembele.
“From what I understand, they’ve [Newcastle] already made an offer to his agent for a pre-contract agreement, quite a big one as well. So, there is interest in Dembele,” Taylor told Give Me Sport this week.
Taylor on Dembele: Frenchman would be a massive Newcastle coup
But it is simple for Newcastle. They have to avoid relegation to be able to pull off any chance of signing players like Dembele – or any decent players. Their last two games have shown that Eddie Howe can save them.
Massive wins over Leeds and Everton have pushed Newcastle out of the relegation zone. While Leeds was a late, snatch-and-grab win, the victory over Everton was thoroughly deserved. The confidence is flowing.
Signing Dembele would be an enormous coup. He is a player that is still young at 24, but a player with more potential than most players in European football. On a free, he would be a massive addition.
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