The Catalan media continue to swing between pessimism and optimism on whether Ousmane Dembele will renew his contract with Barcelona, and Newcastle United’s chances of signing the France international.
At the end of last week, Mundo Deportivo reported Newcastle are in ‘pole position’ to snatch Dembele, largely due to the finances on offer to the player and his agents.
The newspaper explained the attacker has ‘received an astronomical proposal’ from the Magpies, worth €15m per season and a signing on bonus of €15m. In addition to this, his agent would also receive generous commission if the move goes ahead.
Other Catalan reports then questioned whether Dembele will consider the move, given Eddie Howe’s battle against relegation.
Newcastle United are currently bottom of the Premier League, yet to win a match in the competition this season, and now six points from safety after just 13 games. That isn’t attractive, and for all the money to be gained from wages there’s the chance of a loss of commercial income in the Championship for any player tempted to make the move.
Sport journalist Ruben Uria insists it isn’t surprising Dembele could be tempted by a huge amount of cash in one go, and he says a club could offer as much as €20m as a signing bonus.The player wants to ‘get rich’, yet it remains to be seen whether that’s at the expense of his immediate career.
Nevertheless, the idea of Newcastle paying a big amount upfront will no doubt help the player’s agents demand big sums from others.
