How much Newcastle are willing to pay for Leicester City’s Harvey Barnes

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Everything appears to be in place for Harvey Barnes to join Newcastle United this summer – except for the most important thing.

The Magpies are looking to do a deal with Leicester for the 25-year-old, who has already agreed personal terms to swap the King Power Stadium for St James’ Park.

Barnes wants to join Newcastle, and Eddie Howe wants him to be part of his squad next season. The stars are aligning, but a deal will not be done until Toon officials have a bid accepted by Leicester.

That appears to be the only problem at the moment, with both sides looking to get the best deal possible. Newcastle want Barnes for as cheap as possible, while Leicester want as much money as they can get. It is a tale as old as time.

A compromise needs to be reached, and now journalist Ben Jacobs has explained how much the two sides differ over Barnes’ valuation.

Newcastle and Leicester £5m apart over Harvey Barnes

Jacobs has spoke to NUFC Matters on YouTube about the Magpies’ interest in Barnes, and believes that the most Newcastle will pay is £35million.

“In terms of the deal I think that it’s fair to say there is a slight gulf in valuation between the clubs but they have been quietly working away and talking about the deal and a formal bid is expected to go in next week,” he said.

“£40million might be a bit ambitious to my knowledge, in terms of what Leicester could get. That is the number that they would ideally like but I think that Newcastle may well come in a little bit lower than that, if not considerably lower than that.

“I was told that the maximum Newcastle would be prepared to pay is more likely £35million and that the formal bid that goes in could even be under £30million. So we have to wait and see if that’s good enough to get a deal done.

“To my knowledge, Barnes is very much open to the move and Newcastle at this point are front runners.

“West Ham also have been keen on Barnes but haven’t yet moved to any degree and Aston Villa and Tottenham have taken a look in the past but this one at the moment is in Newcastle’s hands.”

In Newcastle’s hands

Stories like this always confuse me. If it is known that the most Newcastle will pay is £35million then why even propose a lower fee of under £30million? You would imagine Leicester insiders know exactly the same or more than the journalists do, so they would be mad to accept a smaller fee than what the Magpies are actually prepared to pay.

They want £40million, which is far too much. That is how much Tottenham paid for James Maddison, and he is a class above Barnes.

The winger will surely go for less, and between £30million and £35million sounds much more reasonable.

As Jacobs says, it is in Newcastle’s hands. Everything appears to be in place, and the main thing is that Barnes is keen.

And with the club seemingly ready to pay as much as £35million, there has to be real hope that Leicester will lower their demands, rather than keep a player who wants to leave.