Ousmane Dembele of FC Barcelona could be the first A-list player Newcastle United will buy under the era of the Saudi Arabia-backed consortium.
The 24-year-old right-winger has less than a season left on his contract with Barcelona and the Spanish side intends to extend his stay at the club.
However, the financial crisis at the club is reportedly making negotiations difficult as most of the players have had to take a pay cut to keep the club running effectively.
Recall that Ousmane Dembele joined FC Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund on August 25, 2017, for a transfer fee worth €135 million.
Based on the deal Dembele signed with FC Barcelona in 2017, the France international earns €5.7 Million per year. This means that his weekly take-home is €109,615-per-week.
Since the arrival of the French right-winger to FC Barcelona, Dembele has scored 30 goals and provided 21 assists in 118 games.
The biggest problem he has faced since he joined the club has been a recurring injury problem. He has lost a lot of game time due to how frequently he sustains injuries.
So far this season, Ousmane Dembele has not made any appearance for Barcelona due to a hamstring injury he has been battling with before the commencement of the season.
Recall that after the European Championship (between June and July 2021) in which he played two games for France, Dembele had to undergo knee surgery to treat his recurring hamstring problems.
According to reports in Spain, the 24-year-old right-winger is on the verge of returning to action. He might be available for FC Barcelona when coach Ronald Koeman leads the club to face Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday, October 27.
Newcastle United have already contacted the representative of Ousmane Dembele
Newcastle United have reportedly contacted the representatives of Ousmane Dembele for a transfer deal and there is a high possibility that the deal might scale through.
Based on his 2017 contract with FC Barcelona, Dembele is free to start talking to other clubs in January 2022. Reports in Spain claimed that if the Frenchman fails to agree on a new deal with Barca, the club would be willing to sell him during the January transfer window.
Barcelona are not ready to allow the winger they bought for €135 million to leave the club on July 1, 2022, for free when they can get a good sum of money on him in January.
Hence, if things remain this way until January, Ousmane Dembele could be Newcastle United’s first big-money move which could excite the club’s supporters.
According to transfermarkt.com, Dembele’s transfer market value is €50 million which might not be a problem for the new owners of Newcastle to pay.
Newcastle are reportedly in talks with Ousmane Dembele over a potentially HUGE five-year deal with mega wages #NUFCpic.twitter.com/szZ3H0XfeT
— Sun Sport (@SunSport) October 21, 2021
