According to Football Insider, Newcastle United could be tempted to sell winger Harvey Barnes in a bid to raise funds for reinvestment in the squad.
The Magpies are currently seventh in the Premier League after seven games, and while Eddie Howe will be pleased with the well-fought results, the quality of performances is a concern.
Newcastle have won three, lost three and drawn one of their league fixtures so far, with opportunities missed on several occasions to grab the game and pick up crucial points.
The lack of business in the summer transfer window and constant first-team injury issues have contributed to less-than-perfect performances, becoming huge action points that will need to be urgently addressed in the January market if they are to compete comfortably for European qualification at the end of the campaign.
As a result, investment will be required which has been a sticking point for the North East outfit in complying with PSR regulations over the last three years since their Saudi-led takeover and sporting director Paul Mitchell will have to navigate that in the best way possible.
One of the easiest ways around PSR restrictions is adopting a sell-to-buy model commonly found in many Premier League clubs’ successful operations, but finding assets to sell at a good price that won’t negatively affect the first-team progress will be difficult for Newcastle.
Transfer expert Mick Brown has exclusively told Football Insider that many clubs are monitoring impressive winger Harvey Barnes ahead of the January transfer window.
The publication notes that this interest in Barnes’ future from other clubs comes as Anthony Gordon is expected to sign a new six-year deal to stay on Tyneside, leaving the first-team competition on the left wing unlikely to steal his spot.
Will Newcastle sell Harvey Barnes?
There is no doubt that Barnes has been one of the most consistent and reliable performers for Newcastle this season, and his contributions in the attacking third have been crucial to the Magpies on many occasions.
With Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson injured, there has been heavy dependency on the wingers in the squad to convert goal-scoring opportunities and Barnes has stepped up on the left, whilst Gordon has been put into a makeshift centre-forward role.
The 24-year-old ex-Leicester star – once hailed “incredible” by BBC and Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards – is currently the top scorer at the club with three goals, while Gordon is behind him with two.
Newcastle signed Barnes for £38m last summer on a five-year deal and his impact on the pitch has been spot on when he has been given the chance, giving Howe a selection headache on many occasions for the left-wing role.
However, if a big money offer came in for the talented player in January it would be worth questions being asked as to whether Newcastle can provide the first-team future he clearly desires and deserves, with Gordon becoming a fan favourite and a constant in the team.
With that being said, it will be interesting to see if Newcastle would entertain a lucrative offer for Barnes, either in the new year or at the end of the season, but this would likely heavily depend on whether the club believes they can replace him and invest further comfortably from the sale.
