Barcelona president Joan Laporta insists it is ‘very important’ that Ousmane Dembele signs a new contract at the La Liga giants amid interest from Premier League strugglers Newcastle United, speaking to Mundo Deportivo.
When reports emerged at the end of October suggesting that Newcastle were in talks to sign bring World Cup-winner Dembele to St James’ Park, there was still plenty of optimism hanging in the Tyneside air.
The Magpies, at the time, had new Saudi Arabian owners willing to put their money where their mouth is.
And Steve Bruce, one of the most unpopular managers in Newcastle’s recent history, had just been handed his P45.
Six weeks later, that optimism has turned – as it always seems to do around these parts – to pessimism, to doom and typical gloom.
It is starting to feel increasingly likely that the so-called ‘richest football club’ in the world will be plying their trade in the Championship next term.
They are winless in 14 games and nailed to the bottom of the Premier League table as it stands.
Are Newcastle set to miss out on Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele?
Newcastle reportedly offered Dembele a staggering £245,000-a-week contract – or £13 million-a-year, if you like – with his Barcelona deal expiring in the summer of 2022 (FootMercato).
Money isn’t everything however.
And if Dembele is to leave Barcelona, surely he won’t be joining a club who have averaged 0.5 points per game this season, no matter how deep their pockets are.
“The negotiation (is going) slower than desired on our part. We are working on it,” Laporta said when asked about Dembele’s future, channelling what his new head coach Xavi Hernandez said about the former Dortmund wonderkid.
“Dembele is a very important player for us who can give much more than he has given (so far). If he continues with us, he can become a player of reference.”
He’s played just 24 minutes of La Liga football in 2021/22.
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