Newcastle United have signed England midfielder Harvey Barnes from Leicester City for an undisclosed fee.
The 25-year-old, who has been capped once by England, has signed a five-year contract with the Magpies.
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Barnes said: “I’m delighted. It’s an amazing club and for me it’s a massive opportunity to come and be involved in a successful team that’s doing exciting things, so I’m absolutely buzzing to be here
“I think it’s an attacker’s dream to come into a team like this; it’s high paced, it’s physically demanding, but you can see the rewards of that with the chances and the goals scored, so I think I’ll certainly suit the style.”
Howe, said: “Harvey is an exciting talent who I have admired for a long time so I’m delighted to welcome him to Newcastle United.
“He is strong, quick and very good technically, and he showed last season in particular that he has an eye for goal from wide positions. He will add a different element to our play and we look forward to working with him as we prepare for the season ahead.”
Barnes is a product of the Leicester academy and has made 187 appearances in all competitions following his debut in 2016, scoring 45 goals.
He was Leicester’s top scorer last season, scoring 13 goals in 34 Premier League appearances.
Harvey Barnes’ trademark move
Last season, Michael Cox analysed Barnes’ style of play, what he brought to Leicester and what he lacked, focusing on his successful use of one-twos…
“Barnes does he show flashes of genius. You won’t find a stepover, or a cheeky finish, or many spectacular long-rangers. Barnes’ game is almost solely based around the simplest concept in football: the give-and-go.
“He is a fine ball-carrier, but doubtless knows his limitations at directly beating his opponent. And as a goalscoring wide player, his main job is to get past the opposition full-back and score goals. Therefore, he compensates for his lack of trickery by relentlessly playing one-twos with team-mates.
“Opposition right-backs have a specific task when playing against Barnes — don’t worry too much about him running at you with the ball, but be very wary when he knocks the ball infield and charges past you.”
Barnes, 25, has signed a five-year contract with Eddie Howe’s side and becomes their third signing of the summer following the arrivals of young forward Yankuba Minteh and Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali.
