Man Utd ‘make Ousmane Dembele’ bid in blow for Newcastle over signing Barca star

Newcastle United's hopes of signing Ousmane Dembele have been dealt a big blow following reports that Manchester United have entered the race for the Barcelona forward.

The Frenchman is out of contract at the end of the season, and while Barca boss Xavi says he's very much part of his plans for next season, the 24-year-old is expected to leave the club.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Dembele has been offered a new salary of £9.4m to stay at the Nou Camp, but the winger now sees his future elsewhere.

A number of clubs are monitoring the situation and will be able to speak to Dembele's representatives in January providing he doesn't sign an extension.

Newcastle are desperate to make the former Borussia Dortmund man their star signing in January and are believed to be the frontrunners for his signature following their takeover by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.

But news of Manchester United's interest could change things as the prospect of playing European football would likely be more appealing than a relegation scrap.

The Magpies are second-bottom of the Premier League after making a dismal start to the season.

They finally recorded their first win of the campaign on Saturday, beating Burnley 1-0 at St James' Park to move off the foot of the table.

Would Ousmane Dembele get in Manchester United's first team? Let us know what you think in the comments section below…

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The club's new mega-rich owners will want to ensure their project isn't delayed by two years because of relegation to the Championship and are expected to splash the cash in January to bolster the squad, but while Dembele would undoubtedly improve the north-east club, his injury problems are a real concern.

The Frenchman has spent a substantial amount of his time at Barca on the treatment table following a £124million move from Borussia Dortmund in 2017.

Despite his obvious talent, he's rarely looked like the world-beater the club paid all that money for, scoring just 30 goals and notching only 21 assists during an otherwise forgettable four-and-a-half years in Spain.

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