Newcastle are closing in on Leicester City’s Harvey Barnes and manager Eddie Howe is willing to part with fan favourite Allan Saint-Maximin in order to land his top target.
The Guardian reported on Friday that Newcastle are close to beating Aston Villa and West Ham to the signing of the Leicester winger as the Magpies want to strengthen the left side of their attack.
Football Insider are now reporting that in order to make sure he lands Barnes, Howe and the Newcastle recruitment staff would be willing to sacrifice Saint-Maximin as the Frenchman is not a key part of their plans heading into the new season.
Leicester want around £35m for the 25-year-old following their relegation to the Championship, having produced 13 goals and three assists in 40 games across all competitions last term.
On the other hand, Saint-Maximin managed just one goal and five assists last season and has scored only 13 times in 124 Magpies games. The winger’s end product has been a weakness of his game and the lack of consistency is now proving to be a problem for his chances to stay on Tyneside.
Barnes has the potential to be a fantastic signing for Newcastle as Howe looks to strengthen his squad for their Champions League return. £35m is a good price for the 25-year-old but will Saint-Maximin be sacrificed in order to make it happen?