The attraction for Newcastle United is obvious. Harvey Barnes has hit double figures in each of his last three seasons at Leicester City; can hit the ground running given his vast Premier League experience; still has his best years ahead of him at 25; and has already sampled life in every European club competition, including the Champions League.
That first point is most significant. Newcastle may have got frustrated at times against teams that sat in last season, but creating chances was not necessarily the issue. In fact, when Barnes' Leicester side came to St James' in the penultimate game of last season, Newcastle had 23 shots, hit the woodwork three times and had 12 times as many corners yet, somehow, the black-and-whites failed to score in a 0-0 draw.
Newcastle struck the post or crossbar more than any other side in the Premier League (26 times) and, also, missed 69 big chances over the course of the campaign. That is why targeting someone like Barnes makes sense when the winger can score all types of goals - from volleys and well-executed strikes on the counter to tap-ins and scruffy finishes.
