Newcastle United are planning to raid relegation-threatened Leicester City this summer, with dynamic winger Harvey Barnes earmarked to bolster the offensive ranks.
While rumours have been in circulation for a while, talkSPORT's Alex Crook is one of the latest to make concrete claims of the player's potential forthcoming departure from the King Power Stadium, stating that Magpies technical director Dan Ashworth is preparing a double swoop for both Barnes and his play-making teammate James Maddison.
It is said that the Toon's recruitment chief is a 'big admirer' of the 25-year-old, who has maintained his prowess from an offensive standpoint this season despite his club's woes.
The Daily Mail states that the wily winger was touted at £60m by the Foxes when Newcastle came lurking last summer, though this value could certainly depreciate if Dean Smith's outfit do indeed fail in their bid to preserve their Premier League status.
Why should Newcastle sign Harvey Barnes?
Leicester's current tenure in the Premier League has been utterly magnificent, pulling off a miraculous escape from relegation peril in 14/15 to incredibly win the Premier League title the following season; this success was followed in 20/21 with victory in the FA Cup, with the Community Shield also gleaned in the next term's curtain-raiser.
Barnes played big roles in the latter two triumphs, and while the Foxes have fallen by the wayside this season, it is largely the dismal defensive efforts that have culminated in the club's malaise, with the attacking efforts of the likes of Barnes still very much showing shades of the former robustness.
Indeed, the £40k-per-week gem has plundered 12 goals and one assist from 33 matches in the top-flight, maintaining a consistent goal threat having not gone more than four matches without finding the back of the net all term.
Once hailed as "unbelievable" by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, the £34m-rated attacker actually ranks among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers for rate of non-penalty goals and the top 9% for aerials won per 90, as per FBref, with one scout report noting his ability 'to regularly carry his team further up the pitch and keep the ball in more dangerous areas.'
As such, there are similarities between his game and Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli's, with the dynamic Brazilian ascending to the forefront of the Premier League's offensive pool of talent since completing a £6m transfer from homeland club Ituano in 2019.
While the Gunners' title charge has deflated after an imperious first three-quarters of the 22/23 term, Martinelli's prolific feats have been highly laudable, with the 21-year-old scoring 15 goals and registering five assists from 36 divisional matches.
The £90k-per-week machine ranks among the top 12% of positional peers for rate of non-penalty goals over the past year himself, also a devastating frontal component with his blend of 'relentless running' and tenacity in sniffing out promising pieces of play certainly similar to the Foxes forward.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, while delighted with the strides taken this season and near completion of their seasonal odyssey for Champions League football, will be searching for players to bolster the ranks and provide prowess across the board.
Barnes fits the bill, he will bring a new dimension and a cutting edge to ensure the Tyneside rise doesn't cease any time soon.