Newcastle To Offer Barcelona Star A 'Bumper Sign-On Fee,' Player Can Sign Pre-Contract Agreement In January

Newcastle’s new owners are plotting a potential swoop for Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele by offering him a lucrative sign-on fee, according to stunning reports.

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) spearheaded the consortium that completed the £300m acquisition of Newcastle from Mike Ashley in early October.

The Saudi Arabian-backed takeover will crack open its war chest and provide additional funds for the Premier League club to use in upcoming transfer windows.

Newcastle are expected to have a budget of around £50m in January, despite having as much as £200m available to use under Financial Fair Play rules.

Read More:

• Steve Bruce leaves Newcastle United

And Dembele has emerged as a new target for Newcastle, with the Barcelona star’s future uncertain at the Camp Nou.

PA

The 24-year-old French winger arrived at Barcelona in 2017 from Borussia Dortmund in an initial £96.8m deal, which could rise to £135.5m through add-ons.

Dembele, who has been linked with Liverpool, has been plagued with injuries at Barcelona and failed to replicate his Dortmund form at the Camp Nou.

According to Foot Mercato (via Football Espana), Newcastle are prepared to offer the France international a hefty signing bonus of €15m.

The publication added that the Magpies’ contract for Dembele would be worth €15m per year if he arrives at the club on a free transfer next summer.

PA

Read More:

• Two Newcastle players ‘involved in tunnel bust-up’ after Spurs defeat, staff had to intervene

Dembele’s current Barcelona contract will expire in 2022 and he is free to speak with clubs outside of Spain from January, with the option to sign a pre-contract agreement ahead of a summer move.

Barcelona want to keep hold of the 2018 World Cup winner and are pushing for him to renew his contract.

However, the Spanish side could face difficulty in keeping hold of Dembele amid the La Liga club’s financial crisis.

Dembele has made over 100 appearances for Barcelona and scored 30 times and registered 21 assists during his spell at the Camp Nou.

The French star has lifted two La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys and a Spanish Super Cup with Barcelona.

Topics: Newcastle United, Premier League, England, Barcelona, La Liga, Spain, Ousmane Dembele, Football

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

@AdnanRiaz9