According to Foot Mercato, Tottenham and Newcastle are still lurking in the shadows to sign Ousmane Dembele, despite his resurgence at Barcelona.
What’s the story?
Well, things became very messy for the £287,000-a-week man at the Camp Nou in January.
Club President Joan Laporta openly expressed his confusion at the fact Dembele didn’t depart, while Mateu Alemany – Director of Football at Barcelona – told the Frenchman to “leave immediately” after he refused the offer of a new contract.
It seemed as if the 24-year-old was destined to depart in the summer when his contract expires, but now, he may be staying.
Foot Mercato believe Laporta wants to keep Dembele, after Xavi found a way to get the best out of him.
In his last five La Liga appearances, the former Borussia Dortmund man has impressively provided seven assists, while also scoring once.
Bad news for Tottenham and Newcastle
By the sounds of it, Barcelona are now happy to keep Dembele.
Foot Mercato state that Laporta is preparing a new contract offer, with the Barcelona President determined to keep the player who cost £135.5m.
Tottenham and Newcastle are still monitoring the situation, although their chances of signing Dembele now seem much slimmer than they were.
Furthermore, Foot Mercato believe the Vernon-born winger has an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain if he does depart Catalonia.
Therefore, Antonio Conte and Eddie Howe have a mission on their hands to bring Dembele to the Premier League.
Keep an eye on this saga – things have already changed drastically, so who knows what else could happen.
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