Newcastle United 'open talks with Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele'

Newcastle United have reportedly been in contact with Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele over the possibility of a move to St James' Park.

The Magpies are expected to be active in the upcoming transfer window as they look to strengthen their squad in a bid to stay in the Premier League.

Newcastle's new owners are thought to be in the market for a marquee signing during their first window since taking over the club, and Dembele is one of the names on their radar.

The 24-year-old's contract at Camp Nou expires at the end of the season, and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claims that Newcastle have been in touch with the forward for a number of weeks.

Barcelona remain keen to tie Dembele down to a new contract and are reportedly optimistic that they can finalise a deal before the end of the year.

Should the France international not agree terms over an extension then Barcelona could look to cash in on him rather than losing him on a free transfer next summer.

Dembele became the second-most expensive player of all time when he joined Barcelona in 2017, but he has endured an injury-plagued career at the club so far, scoring 30 goals in 126 appearances.