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Liverpool and Newcastle set to miss out on Dembele, with bookies convinced he'll remain at Barcelona

Ousmane Dembele odds-on to remain at Barca with the Xavi factor key to persuading him to sign a new deal.

Bookmakers are convinced Xavi will be able to work his magic and convince Ousmane Dembele to stay at Barcelona.
The task looks a difficult one for Xavi as there is huge interest in the French international.

Dembele, who was signed by Barcelona in 2017 for over £120million, is out of contract at the end of the season, meaning he can leave the Spanish giants for free. Dembele can start to negotiate with clubs outside of Spain from January 1.

Barca's financial issues have meant they have been struggling to agree terms and upon his appointment Xavi was quick to address the situation.
"Dembele in his position can be the best player in the world. He has to be a world-class player," he said.
"It's important to have a winning mentality and consistency. We have to help him."

The France international has been plagued by a series of long-term injuries and has missed a string of games in every season since his move to Spain.

The 24-year-old has suffered with a recurring hamstring injury and missed the first part of the current campaign after undergoing a knee operation in the summer.
He has managed just 25 minutes this term, coming off the bench in a Champions League clash against Dynamo Kyiv.
Nevertheless, despite his injury woes, there will be no shortage of takers for the former Rennes forward.

One of the clubs strongly linked with his signing is soon to be big-spending Newcastle, who are one of the few clubs who could offer him an increase on his already substantial wages.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is a confirmed fan of Dembele and they are strongly linked too, and it is those two who are leading the market for clubs who could land the Frenchman.

Of his suitors, the bookies make Newcastle 6/1 favourites, with Liverpool 9/1. Premier League champions Manchester City are 11/1 with German giants Bayern Munich 12/1 to bring him back to the Bundesliga.

But, Xavi's influence has already had an impact and bookmakers have slashed the odds on him staying put - he is now 1/3 to still with Barcelona at the end of the summer window.

READ MORE: Paul Pogba now odds-on to STAY at Manchester United

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