Newcastle make 'astronomical' proposal to Dembele amid Barcelona stand-off

Newcastle have reportedly tabled an 'astronomical' proposal to Ousmane Dembele as his Barcelona contract saga rumbles on.

The winless Magpies are tipped to spend big in January following their recent mega-money takeover by a Saudi-backed consortium and Dembele appears high up on their transfer wishlist.

The 24-year-old winger's contract is up in the summer and despite new Barcelona manager Xavi publicly expressing his desire to tie Dembele down, a new deal is yet to be agree.

With a Nou Camp exit looking closer than ever amid the contract stand-off, Newcastle have reportedly made a whopping offer to the Frenchman as they look to lure him to St. James' Park.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Dembele has received 'an astronomical proposal' from the Magpies, who are reportedly willing to offer him over a staggering €15million (£12.6m) per season on top of the same fee as a tempting signing on bonus.

The Spanish outlet claims Dembele's agent, Moussa Sissoko, will also receive sizeable commission should he ensure Newcastle get their man.

The report states the Premier League outfit are in pole position to pinch the Frenchman whose head is believed to have been turned, with him reportedly favouring a move away over extending his Nou Camp stay.

Xavi and Barcelona have already apparently tabled a highly-attractive offer to Dembele, but the player and his agent consider it insufficient as they push for an improved deal.

After stating a new contract for Dembele as one of his priorities after returning to the club as manager earlier this month, Xavi now looks set to lose the superstar winger, potentially on a free next summer.

Dembele joined Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund for an initial £96.8m back in 2017, though the fee could eventually rise as a high as a reported £135.5m.

Should Ousmane Dembele sign for Newcastle or extend his Barcelona stay? Let us know in the comments section.

The highly-rated French winger has struggled since making the move to Spain, only netting 30 goals across 120 matches in an injury-ravaged four-year spell.

Dembele has only mustered two appearances so far this term and if reports in Spain are believed to be true, could look to move in order to reignite his stuttering career.

As his contract saga rumbles on, Mundo Deportivo claims it is looking increasingly likely that Dembele will not be at Barcelona next season despite his previous claims that he wanted to stay and fight for his future with the Catalan club.

Losing Dembele would be another significant blow for Barcelona who lost talisman Lionel Messi for free in the summer amid the club's catastrophic financial woes.

However, the signing of Dembele would be quite the statement from Newcastle, who currently sit bottom of the Premier League having failed to win a game all season.

While their initial aim will no doubt be to avoid the drop, the club's new owners made a point of expressing their ambitions of turning Newcastle into a global footballing powerhouse and challenging for major honours following their £305m takeover.