Newcastle United have confirmed the signing of Harvey Barnes from Leicester City on a five-year deal. The 25-year-old was part of the Leicester team that were relegated from the Premier League last season but he will now be making an instant return to England's top division with Newcastle United.
Newcastle and Leicester have been negotiating the transfer of Barnes for several weeks after Eddie Howe identified the winger as one of his top targets at the start of the summer. In the end, a fee of £39m has been agreed between the two clubs despite Leicester initially being adamant that they wouldn't sell him for less than £40m.
The sale of Barnes means that the Foxes have lost three of their most important players this summer. Youri Tielemans has joined Aston Villa after his Leicester deal expired while James Maddison signed for Tottenham in a deal also worth £40m. The club is embarking on a new era after relegation and will now look to reinvest the money into the squad to ensure a swift return to the Premier League.
For Newcastle, the signing of Barnes is another shrewd acquisition that should make them stronger once again next season. Due to financial fair play regulations, the club have had to sell a number of players this summer in order to buy big, so Barnes will effectively take the place of Allan Saint-Maximin in Howes' squad. The Frenchman is on the verge of a move to Saudi Arabia after Newcastle accepted an offer from Al-Ahli for his services.
Official, confirmed. Harvey Barnes joins Newcastle on £38m deal from Leicester — contract until June 2028. ⚪️⚫️✔️ pic.twitter.com/GrIxa4nbnQ
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 23, 2023
“An attackers dream”
Upon signing for Newcastle, Harvey Barnes was very complimentary about the attacking talent he will be playing alongside at St James' Park next season. The 25-year-old told the club's website:
“I think it's an attacker's dream to come into a team like this. I'm delighted. It's an amazing club and for me, it's a massive opportunity to come and be involved in a successful team that's doing exciting things, so I'm absolutely buzzing to be here.”
Barnes' new manager, Eddie Howe, was equally as excited but more about Barnes himself rather than those who he will be playing alongside. He said:
“Harvey is an exciting talent who I have admired for a long time so I'm delighted to welcome him to Newcastle United. He is strong, quick and very good technically, and he showed last season in particular that he has an eye for goal from wide positions.”
