Pundit thinks 25-year-old Newcastle man improves so much when under pressure

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Former Arsenal player Perry Groves recently spoke about Harvey Barnes signing for Newcastle United and he was very complimentary.

On Sunday Newcastle officially confirmed the signing of Harvey Barnes mere hours before he made his debut against Aston Villa in the Premier League Summer Series. Fans and pundits barely had time to digest the transfer before seeing him in action.

One pundit who seemed very excited at the prospect of Harvey Barnes at Newcastle was Perry Groves. The former Arsenal man spoke to TalkSPORT (h/t HITC) about the move and called him the ‘perfect player’ for Newcastle as the Magpies brought him in to replace Allan Saint-Maximin.

Groves expects Barnes to score plenty of goals for Newcastle

“Big upgrade,” said Groves. “Perfect player profile for Newcastle.

“If you look in the past, they have signed players like Nick Pope, Matt Targett, Dan Burn and Kieran Trippier. Just good solid pros, who aren’t going to give you any hassle off the pitch and they know what the Premier League is about.

“Harvey Barnes, last season for Leicester, he got 13 goals in a really poor side that got relegated. You can never question his work rate or attitude. That’s when you judge players when things aren’t going well for the team. He is finding balls better. His finishing is better.

“He will be looking for 13-15 goals for Newcastle. In the transfer window, they have been very shrewd with their acquisitions. They have suited Eddie Howe’s remit for a player.”

Barnes’ goal contributions will be a huge factor next season

Adding goals to the side is exactly what Barnes was brought in for, whether it be in the form of assists or netting them himself, he’s more than capable of both.

We got a little glimpse on that on Sunday night where he almost found the top corner against Aston Villa.

The 25-year-old’s goal contributions for Leicester over the last few seasons have been amongst the best in the league, if he can replicate that kind of form for Eddie Howe then it could certainly help to take the edge of what is going to be a very tough season.