Newcastle United transfer target Ousmane Dembele has informed Xavi of his intention to leave FC Barcelona, according to El Chiringuito (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo reported last month that Newcastle are in 'pole position' to land France international Dembele.

He's valued at £45million by Transfermarkt, 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 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 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 and the Bundesliga, is one of the four most expensive players in football's history.

The great Lionel Messi once dubbed him a 'phenomenon', 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 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.