Aston Villa now 'quietly confident' of signing £50m star at Villa Park | OneFootball

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·27 May 2023

Aston Villa now 'quietly confident' of signing £50m star at Villa Park

Article image:Aston Villa now 'quietly confident' of signing £50m star at Villa Park

Aston Villa are 'quietly confident' that they will be able to lure Leicester City star Harvey Barnes to Villa Park despite facing stiff competition, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has told GIVEMESPORT.

Villans head coach Unai Emery will be handed the opportunity to bolster his squad when the transfer window reopens in the summer.


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According to The Independent, Villa are leading the race to sign Barnes as Leicester are facing an exodus if they are unable to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

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The report suggests the winger has a host of suitors, including Tottenham Hotspur, but the Midlands outfit are considered the likeliest destination due to being able to put together a strong financial package.

It is understood that Leicester currently value Barnes at £50million, amid additional interest from West Ham United, but their demands will have to drop if they are consigned to the Championship.

Transfer insider Dean Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that Villa are admirers of the one-cap England international, but warned that a deal may not be struck until later in the summer window.

Barnes is set to enter the final two years of his contract, which is worth £100,000-per-week, at the King Power Stadium.

What has Ben Jacobs said about Barnes?

Jacobs believes Villa will be battling it out with a number of Premier League clubs as they look to lure Barnes away from Leicester.

But the journalist feels Emery could be boosted in his pursuit if the Foxes are relegated as it will increase the chances of a move being on the cards for a smaller fee.

Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT: "Aston Villa, I think, are the most aggressive of the Premier League suitors at this point. Spurs have taken a look in the past as well.

"I think there's going to be a fair amount of competition for Barnes. I think that Villa are quietly confident that if they advance things at the end of the season, they will stand a very realistic chance of getting Barnes. Also, the asking price will be very beneficial to them if Leicester go down."

Would Barnes be a good signing for Villa?

FBref statistics highlight that Barnes has been more of a threat than current Villa wide-man Leon Bailey this season, having averaged more goals and shots per 90 minutes.

With that being the case, it could be argued that the Leicester talisman would be an upgrade on the Jamaica international, who arrived at Villa Park in a £25million deal from Bayer Leverkusen in 2021.

Despite his current employers' struggles this term, Barnes has still found the back of the net 12 times and registered a further three assists.

The 25-year-old is Leicester's top scorer in the Premier League, while his service would be perfect for Ollie Watkins.

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