Sunday evening's 2-0 defeat to Arsenal was a reminder that Newcastle United have not quite reached the desired pedestal despite exemplary work in the Premier League this season.
Having failed to qualify for the Champions League for 20 years, Eddie Howe's outfit have waltzed into top four reckoning this season and perch in third place with just four matches to play, a point above fourth-placed Manchester United and two points above Liverpool – who have played an extra game – in fifth.
Newcastle do remain a distance behind title-chasing Manchester City and Arsenal, and must now look to make apt signings to edge closer to the very forefront of the division, and bolstering the offensive ranks with someone of Harvey Barnes' ilk would be a sterling way to continue the improvements.
According to the Daily Mail, the Leicester City ace could depart from the King Power Stadium this summer, yet to enter contract negotiations with his current deal set to expire in 2025.
The report states that the winger was valued at £60m when the Magpies inquired about his availability this time last year, with Premier League rivals Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur supposedly considering a move. They are joined in their interest by the Toon who still hold an admiration for the player.
Should Newcastle sign Harvey Barnes?
Despite United's newfound affluence since the £300m PIF takeover in October 2021, the deals forged on the transfer front have been shrewdly worked and embody the well-worked strategies implemented; a structural organisation fit for a team searching for success at the highest level.
One deal that has not quite cut the grade thus far is the £45m acquisition of 21-year-old winger Anthony Gordon, who has flattered to deceive across his 12 outings for the side since his January arrival, yet to score or assist.
Unquestionably, the Liverpudlian is a talented prospect and could yet forge a successful career at the highest level, but he's not there yet and currently yields a seasonal Sofascore rating of just 6.66 in the Premier League, hardly exuding confidence with his average of 1.2 shots and 0.5 key passes per outing.
Barnes, retrospectively, has exhibited an impressive cutting edge for his team over the past few years, integral in sustaining the offensive fluidity when Leicester were at their free-flowing best under Brendan Rodgers and prolific during the current campaign, providing a reliable striking outlet despite the club's perilous Premier League position.
Across the duration of his City career, the £40k-per-week star has scored 42 goals and supplied 32 assists from 183 appearances, winning the FA Cup and Community Shield and being singled out as "unbelievable" by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp for his exploits.
The one-cap England international has indeed been a menace in front of goal this term, scoring ten league goals from 30 outings, with his talismanic aura aiding his side greatly in the fight to preserve top-flight status, above 18th-placed Nottingham Forest only on goal difference with four matches to play.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues for rate of non-penalty goals per 90, indeed encapsulating his clinical prowess and reminding the likes of Howe of the impact that he could make on Newcastle's fortunes.
He could be the "catalyst" – as he has been dubbed by his Leicester manager – for the next phase of the Toon team's ascension, and as the Magpies continue their skywards flight, Barnes' prospective inclusion could spell danger for all who oppose their claim for a spot at the top.