Newcastle United may reportedly move for Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes during the summer transfer window.
The 25-year-old, alongside James Maddison, has established himself as first choice in the final third in recent seasons, earning him recognition with England.
Although Barnes has only been handed one outing for the Three Lions, now almost three years ago, he has continued to produce impressive numbers for Leicester.
That has remained the case during 2022-23 with 10 goals and one assist coming from 27 starts and one substitute outing in the Premier League.
Possessing a contract until 2025, Barnes is theoretically tied to the King Power Stadium for another couple of seasons, something which may be influenced by the futures of other players.
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As it stands, Youri Tielemans, who will become a free agent, and Maddison will almost certainly depart the Foxes regardless of whether they can remain in the top flight.
In ideal circumstances, Leicester will not want to lose a third key man in one transfer window, yet that will become a realistic possibility if they lose their Premier League status.
According to Football Insider, Leicester may struggle to keep hold of Barnes should they become a Championship side for 2023-24.
Newcastle are allegedly monitoring the situation ahead of potentially testing Leicester's resolve when it comes to fending off interest in Barnes.
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The Magpies are already well stocked for options in the final third, as shown by Eddie Howe's rotation in wins over Manchester United, West Ham United and Brentford in less than a week.
Nevertheless, Newcastle would need to further bolster their squad if they are able to secure European football for next season, regardless of which competition they may find themselves in.
Howe has been relatively fortunate with injuries this campaign with just 20 different players having started matches in the Premier League.
Newcastle have also been linked with Jarrod Bowen in recent days who, like with Barnes, could leave West Ham United if they drop down to the second tier.
Darren Plant
