A deal for Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele, who is poised to become a free agent in the summer, has been agreed
Newcastle United has attempted to acquire Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele on a free transfer in the summer, according to writer Ryan Taylor, as reported by Give Me Sport. With his current contract at Barcelona expiring at the end of the season, teams like Newcastle United have been able to offer pre-contract conditions in anticipation of a possible Bosman transfer.
"“According to what I’ve heard, they’ve already made an offer to his agent for a pre-contract deal, and it seems to be a substantial one. The fact that Dembele has piqued the attention of Newcastle United means that the Magpies have made Dembele one of their top objectives in the summer transfer window,”Ryan Taylor"
The Frenchman was one of the main points of the recently closed January transfer window. Barcelona was eager to unload the player since his contract was set to expire after the season, to free up a substantial portion of their pay budget. Chelsea was linked with a bid for the winger on the eve of the transfer deadline. But nothing came of it.
After Dembele’s unsuccessful January transfer attempt, a fresh signing was made. Adama Traore and other elite players, notably Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, were forced to accept a significant wage reduction as a result of this decision. A summer transfer seems to have been the goal for the winger and his agent, with the expectation that cash-rich teams such as Newcastle United or Paris Saint-Germain would come up with a substantial bid.
The Magpies have already made an effort to entice the former Borussia Dortmund prodigy to St. James’ Park, as the situation stands right now. Newcastle United’s new owners and management are willing to make him the first of several major investments as they want to establish the club as one of the most powerful in international football over the next few years.
It is almost unnecessary to mention that Newcastle has been heavily associated with several other players during the summer transfer window, notably Thomas Muller, who is unlikely to leave Bayern Munich anytime soon despite his outstanding performances for the Bavarians.
Nonetheless, the possible arrival of a player like Dembele might go a long way toward signaling a statement of intent, which may ultimately make wooing other stars a lot easier. Barcelona, on the other hand, will be able to breathe a sigh of relief after putting a stop to what has been dubbed “the worst signing in club history.”