As things stand, Ousmane Dembélé will be a free agent at the end of the season, as his contract with Barcelona is set to expire once the campaign ends.
There have been reported attempts to renew the Frenchman, only for him to allegedly turn them down, wanting far more.
This has led to Newcastle United, and others, to be linked with the winger, as the newly-rich Magpies continue their efforts to bolster their squad.
Big offers were said to have been made to the player, but none have been accepted yet, and Dembélé’s agent has now explained the situation to RMC Sport in France, perhaps giving a boost to the St James’ Park side in the process.
He said: “I am here to defend then interests of my player. We are not here to fuel debates on social media, but the truth must be told. Yes, we have demanding requests, but we have already shown that Ousmane’s career choices aren’t dictated by money. Otherwise he wouldn’t be here.
“If Barcelona wanted to negotiate, they could have tried to come to the table to discuss with us, except that there is no discussions, as well as threats of no longer playing him. That’s forbidden. We will assert Ousmane Dembélé’s rights if necessary”.
As for what the future holds, there was no direct indication from Moussa Sissoko that he had received offers from Newcastle United or any other club.
He added: “We don’t know what we’re going to do. Nothing has been finalised, but the leaders (of Barcelona) are losing Ousmane by their own doing. From the start, we have shown that we want to negotiate, with set conditions of course, but without closing the door”.
On Monday, it was claimed by the Catalan media that Dembélé had been offered by Barcelona to both Newcastle and Manchester United for €20m, as they try and monetise an exit in January.
They then added on Tuesday morning that he could be to the Magpies equivalent to what Robinho was to Manchester City when their takeover was finalised.
In short, he could be their new hero if all goes well.
