Newcastle could have an £83m star in the making

Newcastle United want their seat in the Champions League back. Eddie Howe and his brood were nursing grievances this summer after failing to qualify for European competition.

It had been a tough year, a testing year, with injuries running rampant throughout St. James’ Park and a contentious fourth-placed Champions League finish souring what had been a miraculous rise to prominence.

Money had been made available under PIF, but the Magpies proved that they could fashion something brilliant out of resources – which other Premier League clubs, it has to be said, seem incapable of achieving.

Howe created an iron-reinforced backline, a turbocharged engine and a slick and stylish attack. Up front, Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak have formed quite the partnership.

Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon are hitting their stride

A slow start to the 2024/25 campaign threatened further misery on Tyneside, with fans’ fears compounded by the remembrance that the summer transfer window left much to be desired.

However, things had started to pick up before the November international break, with Howe’s outfit claiming victories over Chelsea, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, advancing to the last eight in the Carabao Cup and stepping back into the mix at the front of the league, only three points behind third-placed Chelsea.

Gordon, United’s 2023/24 Player of the Season, and the free-scoring Isak have been crucial in propelling Newcastle back into a position of promise.

Isak, indeed, has scored in four successive matches for his club, finding his shooting boots at the perfect time, while Gordon brings so much pace and potency to the frontline, principally out on the left but dynamic enough to serve dutifully up front or on the alternate flank.

The duo are as fine as any in the English top flight and have been hailed for their “absolutely brilliant” displays by TNT Sports commentator Lucy Ward.

Newcastle have been mooted to be interested in signing a right winger this coming January, with recent reports suggesting Brentford’s £50m-rated goal machine Bryan Mbeumo to be at the top of the wishlist.

But… wait a second. What about Harvey Barnes?

But what about Harvey Barnes

Perhaps in the conversation for the most underrated Premier League forwards of the past several years, Barnes endured a frustrating first year at Newcastle, who signed Leicester City’s talented goal source for £38m after they suffered relegation at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

The 26-year-old sent St. James’ Park into a fanfare after scoring off the bench on his debut last season as Newcastle thrashed Aston Villa 5-1, but he picked up a foot injury little over a month later that ruled him out until February. As you can see from the table above, this was a big blow to his chances of cementing a starting berth from the offing.

A one-cap England international, Barnes has certainly started the current campaign off well, notching four goals and an assist for Howe’s cause despite only being handed five starting berths.

Praised as a “special talent” by analyst Statman Dave, the £80k-per-week winger might not be trusted for an immovable starting berth in Howe’s Premier League line-up, but the underlying data definitely demonstrates that his powers are being aptly used all the same.

Indeed, as per FBref, Barnes ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored and the top 15% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, with his innate striking ability and knack at driving into the danger area leading the stats-focused site to draw up Barcelona’s Raphinha as a player of similar likeness.

The Brazil international might just be the most in-form player in the world right now, utterly mesmerising in his performances for club and country.

For La Blaugrana, he’s posted 12 goals and ten assists from 17 matches this season, which is utterly absurd and even beyond the rate of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, who has earned acclaim this term for his potency, notching ten goals and assists apiece from as many games.

Like Barnes, the one-time Leeds United superstar is a penetrative and incisive attacking outlet, though he is admittedly more creative and expansive with his passing, ranking among the top 5% of positional peers for goals, the top 1% for assists and the top 9% for shot-creating actions per 90 (FBref).

Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.

But the very fact that Newcastle’s winger is likened to such a player speaks volumes of his skillset. Howe should really give him greater opportunity from the outset. After all, Newcastle have admired Raphinha for several years – though perhaps they already have their own version.

According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle have actually let their intrigue be known only last month, having enquired about the 27-year-old but been met with a sharp response that he’s valued at some €100m (£83m).

Maybe not, then. Look, Newcastle need some more quality to improve their frontline, but Barnes is still not being handed the regularity of performances that he deserves. Given a bit more time and opportunity, maybe he could even mirror Raphinha.