Newcastle United are "very much in this race" to land the signature of Leicester City's exciting winger and England international Harvey Barnes over the summer, claims journalist Ben Jacobs.
Newcastle United transfer news – What's the latest on Harvey Barnes
It has been a strong start to the transfer window for Newcastle so far, with the club landing their primary target and marque-signing Sandro Tonali from Italian giants AC Milan for just £55m.
The deal feels like a watershed moment, an announcement of the Toon's arrival amongst the Premier League big boys and a signal of genuine intent.
That said, it hasn't gone entirely their way this summer, with James Maddison opting to join Tottenham Hotspur despite the interest from the Magpies.
However, that snub from the former Leicester man hasn't seemed to deter the Tyneside outfit from pursuing his former teammate Barnes, with the Daily Mail reporting that the club are still 'keen' to bring the exciting winger to St James Park.
And, it has now been claimed that they are closing in on signing him.
What has journalist Ben Jacobs said about Harvey Barnes to Newcastle United?
Jacobs was straight to the point in explaining that the Magpies were now well and truly in the race to land Barnes' signature and that the relegation of Leicester all but guaranteed the exit of Barnes this summer.
Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "I would say that Newcastle are very much in this race for Harvey Barnes, he's been a long standing target and now that Leicester have gone down an exit is very likely.
He also mentioned a few other Premier League sides that were interested in the player, adding: "I wouldn't discount Tottenham. And I think that West Ham and Aston Villa, are ones to watch."
Would Harvey Barnes be a good signing for Newcastle United?
Signing Barnes would be an excellent decision for Newcastle; not only has he proven himself in the top flight over the span of a few years now, he would certainly be an upgrade on the Toon's current crop of left-wingers.
According to WhoScored, the 25-year-old averaged a respectable rating of 6.66 across his 34 league games last campaign, which considering he was playing in a woefully dysfunctional Foxes side, is quite impressive and shows he can perform regardless of what's happening around him.
During the Midlands club's doomed campaign, he also managed to score 13 goals and assist another, giving him a goal involvement every 2.4 games, also per WhoScored.
His consistently impressive performances over the last few seasons have also garnered praise from some of the very best in the game, with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp saying in 2021:
"Barnes is probably one of the biggest talents, I'm not sure if he is respected or appreciated as much as he should be, he is an unbelievable player to be honest, a proper Leicester product."
He could also be the perfect competition for Newcastle new-boy Anthony Gordon, who has failed to deliver on his £45m price tag at St James Park thus far.
If Eddie Howe and Co can get this deal over the line and for as little as the £35m being reported, it could end up being one of the summer's best deals.