Ousmane Dembele reportedly now 'has an offer on the table' from Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Statement signing wanted

The St James' Park outfit have been linked to a number of big-name players since the completed takeover by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium, including the likes of Bayern Munich's Niklas Sule and FC Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho. It is clear that a statement signing is wanted so that they can attract other top players to Tyneside.

It may be difficult given that they find themselves in a relegation battle at the moment, as they currently sit 19th in the Premier League with no wins and just five points from their 11 games so far this season (Premier League), but Eddie Howe must improve the quality in his squad to give them the best possible chance of retaining their top-flight status.

The Latest: Dembele offer

As per ABC (via Sport Witness), Dembele now 'has an offer on the table from Newcastle', which includes a salary of €15m (£12.8m) per year and a signing-on bonus of the same amount, so that he can move to Tyneside as a free agent next summer.

He is currently stalling talks with Barcelona over a new deal, so there is a possibility that they could also sell him in the January transfer window. Dembele is frustrated at the Catalan giants, so a move seems plausible if the right offer comes in.

The Verdict: Get it done

Given that he is currently valued at £45m by Transfermarkt, to potentially sign him for free would represent a real bargain for the Magpies.

A player who has won the World Cup with France among many club accolades (Transfermarkt), Dembele would offer an elite winning mentality in the Newcastle changing room, something from which all the players could benefit as the club moves forward in its project.

On the pitch, he is a tricky winger when he gets going, with his former Barca teammate Lionel Messi once dubbing him 'frightening' and a 'phenomenon'.

Admittedly, Dembele has not quite lived up to the whopping £121.5m price tag which saw him move from Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona back in 2017, as he has not yet managed to reach double figures in terms of goals or assists in a La Liga season (Transfermarkt). However, at 24 years of age, he still has the potential to be the world-beater that he once promised to become.

In other news, this £175,000-per-week maestro is 'close' to a move to Newcastle