---
title: "Newcastle: Ousmane Dembele poised to leave Barcelona"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/newcastle-ousmane-dembele-poised-to-leave-barcelona/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "David Comerford"
section: "Newcastle United"
published: "2021-12-07T19:35:59Z"
modified: "2021-12-07T19:35:59Z"
---

# Newcastle: Ousmane Dembele poised to leave Barcelona

**Newcastle United transfer target Ousmane Dembele has informed Xavi of his intention to leave FC Barcelona, according to El Chiringuito (via [Sport Witness](https://sportwitness.co.uk/team-newcastle-united-player-tells-manager-transfer-likely/)).**

### The lowdown

Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo reported last month that Newcastle are in [‘pole position’](https://sportwitness.co.uk/newcastle-in-pole-position-for-signing-player-has-astronomical-proposal-from-magpies/) to land France international Dembele.

He’s valued at £45million by [Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ousmane-dembele/profil/spieler/288230), but The Magpies could potentially bring him in on a free transfer because his contract is up at the end of the season.

That’s not to say it’d be a cheap deal. Dembele’s £287,000-per-week wages make him the [second-highest earner](https://salarysport.com/football/la-liga/barcelona/) at Barcelona, behind only Philippe Coutinho (£380,000).

### The latest

El Chiringuito’s Jota Jordi revealed that Dembele is lining up his exit from the Camp Nou after a lucrative offer from the Premier League.

“Dembele has told Xavi not to count on him for next year,” he said. “He has an offer from England of a lot of money, with a transfer bonus because he would go free.”

The translation from [Sport Witness](https://sportwitness.co.uk/team-newcastle-united-player-tells-manager-transfer-likely/) mentions Newcastle United by name, although it is not clear from Jordi’s comments if they are the ones who have made that offer.

### The verdict

This would be an exciting, if risky, signing for Newcastle. Dembele, a former Young Player of the Year in both [Ligue 1](https://www.rtl.fr/sport/football/trophees-unfp-2016-ousmane-dembele-elu-meilleur-espoir-de-ligue-1-7783141946) and the [Bundesliga](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/news/Bundesliga/borussia-dortmund-ousmane-dembele-voted-bundesliga-rookie-of-the-season-447011.jsp), is one of the four most expensive players in [football’s history](https://www.transfermarkt.com/statistik/transferrekorde).

The great Lionel Messi once dubbed him a [‘phenomenon’](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/messi-backs-dembele-join-worlds-elite), backing him to break into the world’s elite, so there is no questions he is a player with immense natural talent.

But the big concern is his injury record. Since he joined Barcelona in that blockbuster deal in 2017, he’s missed a whopping [100 games](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ousmane-dembele/verletzungen/spieler/288230) through a relentless series of problems.

Ability counts for little without availability, especially if you’re shelling out massive wages for the player in question.

**In other news, [there’s been a key update on another NUFC target at Barcelona](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/newcastle-united-news/newcastle-philippe-coutinho-wants-to-stay-put-in-january/).**