Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer may need to open his own soothsayer business after telling the Magpies to sign Harvey Barnes last summer. That prediction now looks to come to fruition with the Toon reportedly closing in on a move for the 25-year-old winger.
Barnes top scored for Leicester City in their dismal relegation campaign, but was also a key feature in their European quests in years gone by. Newcastle are said to have enquired about Barnes and his former teammate James Maddison last summer, but both players were seen as key components in their fight to stay in the Premier League.
The Foxes were unsuccessful in their bid to keep top flight football at the King Power and they were relegated to the Championship. Prior to the arrival of Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon, Shearer told the Magpies to go all out to raid Leicester for both Barnes and Maddison.
Last year, he wrote in his BBC Sport column: "I'd love to say I think Newcastle will be fighting it out with Manchester United for a place in the top six, but I don't quite see that happening yet.
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"Eddie Howe has already done a great job to turn the club around since he was appointed as manager in November and now my hope is that they will be challenging for seventh, eighth or ninth place, which I think is realistic with the squad they've got at the moment. They finished 11th last time, and were only three points off eighth place.
"Another signing or two could make the difference there, especially up front - Chris Wood arrived from Burnley in January but so far he is the only striker Howe has signed. With Callum Wilson's history, you would think at some stage he is going to get another injury and they will need some more attacking options.
"Whether they go for a striker or a different type of forward player - there have been reports about bids for Leicester's James Maddison and Harvey Barnes - it is definitely in that department that they need to strengthen."
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