Barcelona forward receives £12.6m offer with hefty signing on fee, Catalans bracing for exit

Barcelona seem to be facing a losing battle in their bid to convince Ousmane Dembele to sign a new deal and commit his long-term future to the club. The speedy wide forward is attracting interest from a number of top European clubs and the latest entrant is the English Premier League's restructured Newcastle United.

The Catalan club have been in talks with Dembele's agents for a number of months over a new deal, but their offers have fallen on deaf ears. The France international's representatives are yet to respond, leaving the club almost certain that they are looking for a move away next summer.

Dembele's current contract expires in 2022 and he can walk away for nothing next July, which will be a massive blow for Barcelona, who spent over £100 million to sign him from Borussia Dortmund in 2017. They are unlikely to let him leave on a free and could look to cash in when the January transfer window opens.

The 24-year-old will be able to talk to clubs outside Spain from January, and is expected to assess all the options on the table before making a decision on his future. According to Goal, Newcastle are the latest entrants into the race for Dembele's signature with the wide forward said to be open to a move to the North East of England.

The Magpies are expected to spend big in the coming transfer windows following the club's takeover by the Saudi-backed Public Investment Fund. The Premier League outfit is said to have already made initial contact with Dembele's agent and have offered him a deal worth €15 million (£12.6m) over five years, which also includes a £12.6 million signing bonus.

Dembele is yet to make an appearance for Barcelona this season having sustained a knee injury during the European Championship in the summer. He returned to training, but is being kept out of the first-team owing to his contract standoff with the club.

United are not the only club on the forward's tail, with Premier League giants Liverpool, Serie A big guns Juventus and AC Milan also keeping tabs on the situation. There is likely to be a scramble for his signature despite his injury troubles if he enters the January transfer window with just six months remaining on his contract.