An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Barcelona attacker Ousmane Dembele…
What’s the talk?
According to Spanish outlet Sport, the Frenchman is not interested in signing for the Magpies due to their current position at the bottom of the Premier League.
The report claims that the €15m-per-season (£12.7m) contract offer on the table from Newcastle is not enough to tempt Dembele to risk relegation to the Championship, with the forward set to explore other options.
Fans will be fuming
Newcastle fans will surely be fuming with this update as it appears to rule out any chance of Dembele arriving at St James’ Park in January.
It highlights how damaging the early part of this season under Steve Bruce has been for the Magpies, with Eddie Howe inheriting a team in a terrible position in the Premier League. They are bottom of the division and the only team without a single win in the league, having picked up just six points from their 13 games.
This means that it could be difficult to attract players in January as they may not want to be involved in a scrap against relegation, irrespective of the takeover by PIF. Dembele’s apparent objection to making the switch highlights this and will bring to light an issue which will leave fans all the more frustrated with the club’s start to the campaign.
They might also be furious because Dembele could have been an excellent addition to the side. His former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi once dubbed him a ‘phenonemon’, with the Argentine saying: “On the pitch he’s a phenomenon. It’s up to him where he ends up, he could be one of the best. He’s young and he is adapting.”
The £45m-rated dynamo has 30 goals and 21 assists in 121 appearances for Barcelona, having managed 10 goals and 22 assists in 50 games for Borussia Dortmund earlier in his career. This shows that he has the quality to provide goals and assists at the top level, which is why he could have been a superb signing for Newcastle.
He could have arrived in England and made key contributions in the final third to help the Magpies stave off relegation. Instead, he looks set to reject the Tyneside club’s advances and either stay with Barcelona or else join another side to progress his career.
AND in other news, Howe could save NUFC’s season with “beautiful” 27-goal beast, he loves St James’ Park…