Newcastle United will 'wait in the wings' as they attempt to pull off an ambitious move to sign Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele, according to journalist Dean Jones.
What's the latest transfer news involving Ousmane Dembele?
As per 90min, Newcastle United are keen on signing Dembele this summer and club officials have recently met with the player's entourage during a visit to England.
The report states that 'brief contact' was made between the two parties during a meeting. At the same time, Dembele was also a surprise visitor at the Stadium of Light to watch Sunderland take on Sheffield United, as he is friends with their former chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus.
Spanish outlet Sport have claimed that although Barcelona want the £204k-a-week star to stay at the Spotify Camp Nou, negotiations are believed to have stopped over a new deal, which could see the France international depart La Blaugrana for free when his contract expires in the summer of 2024.
Last month, Calciomercato, signalled that Barcelona are looking to sell both Dembele and his teammate Ferran Torres to bankroll a potential swoop for Juventus winger Federico Chiesa.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones is unsure whether Newcastle United would be able to entice Dembele to St. James' Park in the forthcoming transfer window.
Jones told FFC when asked about whether Dembele would come to Newcastle United: "I'm not sure Ousmane Dembele will, to be honest. I understand why the interest is there, I understand why the stories are there around it and they definitely would have interest in signing him if he was available.
"Barcelona need to raise cash as well and it checks out, but whenever I do check out this story recently on the player's side or the club's side, I'm just never convinced that it's actually going to be something that turns into a transfer. All Newcastle can do really is wait in the wings and hope he arrives on the market. I'm not hopeful from their point of view that actually ends up happening."
How has Ousmane Dembele performed for Barcelona this season?
Dembele has enjoyed a decent season for Barcelona all things considered, notching eight goals and seven assists from 29 appearances in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.
WhoScored also notes that Dembele has earned an average rating of 7.23/10 for his exploits on the pitch this term, ranking him as the joint-third most consistent performer at Spotify Camp Nou.
His ability to be a constant menace for defenders has shone through this campaign, as Dembele has also successfully performed 62 shot-creating actions in total this season, as shown on FBRef.
It promises to be an intriguing summer for Dembele as uncertainty lingers over his long-term future at Barcelona. Would he be tempted by the possibility of swapping La Liga for the Premier League and more specifically Newcastle United? Only time will tell on that front.
