Newcastle United now reportedly hold an interest in signing Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele and they’ve already met with his agents.
Eddie Howe’s men will be hoping to secure their place in the top-four over the coming weeks, despite a disappointing result at Aston Villa on Saturday.
The Magpies currently sit three points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham, ahead of their clash at St James’ Park this weekend.
Of course, Newcastle have been fairly cautious in the transfer market over the past year, but securing Champions League football could change their approach.
And 90 Min reports that Newcastle are now eyeing a move for Ousmane Dembele ahead of the summer.
Newcastle want Dembele
The outlet claims that intermediaries met with Dembele’s agent during his recent trip to England.
While his visit to the North East was ‘short’, there has been contact between the player’s agents and Newcastle, according to 90 Min.
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Dembele seems to have got his career back on track after a difficult couple of years in Spain.
The 25-year-old has struggled with injuries during his time at the Camp Nou.
He’s managed to register 15 goal involvements in 28 appearances for Xavi’s side this season though and seemed to be slowly getting back to his best before he picked up a hamstring injury back in February.
There’s no doubt that Dembele is a ‘magnificent’ talent on his day, but it would be a gamble for Newcastle given his injury record and inconsistent form.
Indeed, Gary Neville even labelled the winger’s display in the World Cup final last year for France as ‘embarrassing‘.
Yet, the Frenchman has got just under a year left on his current deal, which could tempt the Magpies into a cut-price move.