Newcastle to sign Leicester player ahead of Aston Villa & West Ham | OneFootball

Newcastle United are expected to complete the signing of Harvey Barnes from Leicester City for at least £35m.

Newcastle to sign Harvey Barnes from Leicester

The Foxes endured a disappointing season last time out, as they were relegated from the Premier League on the final day. Once that was confirmed, it was always likely that Barnes would depart, with the winger having shown over the years that he has the ability to play at the top level.

Even in the previous campaign, he was one of few to emerge with credit, as he scored 13 goals in 34 appearances, but it wasn’t enough to keep Leicester up.

Since then, there’s been plenty of speculation surrounding the future of the one-cap England international, with Aston Villa and West Ham having been linked with Barnes.

However, he looks set to move to the north-east, as the Telegraph revealed an agreement is expected to be reached between Newcastle and Leicester in the next week, with a fee of at least £35m expected.

“Barnes has been a target of West Ham United, who had been at the front of the queue, and Aston Villa, but Newcastle have stolen a march on their rivals. It is expected that Newcastle will submit their first bid for Barnes over the next few days, with the player keen to join the Champions League club.

“Leicester are thought to value Barnes at around £40 million, with Newcastle hoping to pay closer to £35 million, but a deal is expected to be agreed.

“With Newcastle now ready to make a bid, Barnes is unlikely to turn down the opportunity to play Champions League football even if Villa or West Ham make a late move.”

The attacker would depart Leicester having made almost 200 appearances for the club after coming through the ranks.

Leicester City summer transfer plans

Like James Maddison, who left for Spurs, it always felt inevitable that Barnes would be moving on this summer, because he simply shouldn’t be playing in the Championship with the quality he has.

For Leicester, it’s all about getting the best fee, and if they can reach an agreement of around £40m then you’d have to say it would be a good deal, knowing his value would have dropped following relegation.

The Maddison sale saw new boss Enzo Maresca move quickly to bring in Harry Winks and Conor Coady, and you can be sure he has more players lined up as he looks to make his own mark on the squad.

It’s a shame for Leicester that they are losing someone like Barnes, who has contributed to their success in recent years, but it’s a consequence of relegation. Now, it’s about looking to the future, and this is a great move for the player, who will get to test himself on the biggest stage in club football in the Champions League.