Newcastle could be about to sign a player ‘better than Kylian Mbappe’ before Monday

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Football is a funny game sometimes. A month ago, Barcelona chief Joan Laporta insisted Ousmane Dembele was even better than Kylian Mbappe – despite his well-documented issues at the Nou Camp. Now, a move to Newcastle may be on the cards for the 2018 World Cup winner instead.

Back in the summer transfer window of 2017, Barcelona were rocked.

The Catalan giants had entered a new chapter under Ernesto Valverde openly flirting with the idea of signing Marco Verratti and Adrien Rabiot.

What they didn’t expect, however, was the sheer ambition PSG were ready to show as an act of revenge.

Suddenly, the Ligue 1 titans activated Neymar’s massive £200million buyout clause. Suddenly, their Brazilian magician was no more.

Barcelona never thought a deal would happen but they were powerless to prevent the Samba star from jumping ship.

And with the club having mere days to land a replacement, they went into panic mode.

Liverpool made it clear Philippe Coutinho wouldn’t be allowed to leave, despite the Brazilian seeking a move to Catalonia.

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So Barcelona decided to spend big, ridiculously big, on the signing of Dembele from Borussia Dortmund.

A month ago, amid the player’s contract stand-off with the club, Barcelona president Laporta raised eyebrows with his assessment of Dembele.

In 2017, Barcelona could also have gone for Kylian Mbappe. Mbappe has, in the years since, gone from strength to strength.

Dembele, meanwhile, has never come good. There have been glimpses of his talent, but only that.

Yet Laporta insisted the France international was even better than his compatriot, saying: “We have a very good relationship with Dembele and he wants to stay.

“We also want him because he is a great player. These are situations that need a negotiation with the representatives who want the best for the player.

“I am enthusiastic about Dembele – he is better than Mbappe.”

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A month on, and a player Barcelona think is an upgrade on Mbappe could soon be theirs no more.

Barcelona boss Xavi has revealed Dembele’s time at the club may be over imminently because of his refusal to commit to a new deal.

“It is a difficult situation with Dembele,” he said last week.

“The club have decided that if he does not renew, we have to look for a solution because they have been waiting too long.

“It has been five months that (sporting director, Mateu Alemany) has been speaking with the agents. Either he renews, or we look for a solution.

“The message is clear: either Dembele renews or we look for an exit for the player – there is nothing else left for it.

“I don’t consider sending him to stands. He says he wants to stay but then he does not sign.

“It is a shame.”

Barcelona sporting director Mateu Alemany then went one further, saying Dembele has been told he has to leave immediately.

He said: “It’s clear that Dembele does not want to continue with Barcelona. He doesn’t want to be part of our project.

“We told Dembele he has to leave immediately. We expect Ousmane to be sold before January 31.”

And now, Barcelona’s loss could be Newcastle’s gain.

The Daily Mail have claimed the Toon board have performed a U-turn on the France international, having previously deemed any potential pursuit to be a ‘wasted exercise’.

And with Barcelona needing to get Dembele off their wage bill, and ensure they bank a fee for the winger, it’s feasible a move to Newcastle will be on the cards.

If that happens, it would be sensational.

Dembele’s stock may have dropped but, on his day, there’s no denying the former Dortmund star can be unplayable.

Newcastle have the finances required to convince Barcelona into selling as well as meeting the forward’s salary demands.

So, as the clock ticks down, this is very much one to keep an eye on.

Dembele’s potential has been unfulfilled at Barcelona. At Newcastle, things could be extremely different.

Get him back to his blockbuster best and Newcastle may still be in the Premier League this time next year. 

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