Newcastle United have signed Leicester City striker Harvey Barnes on a five-year contract, the Premier League club announced on Sunday.
Financial details were not disclosed, but according to British media, Newcastle paid £39 million ($50.13 million) for the 25-year-old England international.
“This is a great club and for me it’s a great opportunity to be part of a successful team doing interesting things,” said Barnes.
“I think it’s a striker’s dream to come to a team like this, at a fast pace, physically demanding, but you can see the results with the chances and the goals scored, so I think I’ll definitely suit that style.”
Barnes came through the Leicester Academy and was one of the club’s few bright spots last season but failed to help the club avoid relegation despite scoring 13 goals in the Premier League.
He has already earned one cap for England and came on as a substitute in the 3-0 friendly win over Wales in 2020.
“He is strong, fast and very good technically, and he showed last season in particular that he looks for goals from wide positions,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said of Barnes.
“He will add a different element to our game and we look forward to working with him as we prepare for next season.”
Newcastle qualified for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years last season after finishing fourth.
Barnes is their third signing of the season after Gambian striker Yankuba Minteh joined from Danish club Odense and Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali from AC Milan.
Barnes is a product of The Foxes youth academy who then made his debut in December 2016 when his team lost 0-5 to FC Porto in the Champions League group stage.
While in the uniform for the team based at the King Power Stadium, the 25-year-old winger made 187 appearances in all competitions by recording 45 goals and 32 assists and winning two trophies, namely the 2020/2021 FA Cup and 2021 Community Shield, according to Transfermarkt.
In his last season with Leicester, even though he failed to help his team survive in the highest tier of English football, Barnes still performed well where he became the club’s top scorer with 13 goals in all competitions.
“I am pleased. It’s an amazing club and for me it’s a great opportunity to come in and be involved in a successful team that is doing exciting things, so I’m really excited to be here,” said the Englishman.
“I think it’s a striker’s dream to come to a team like this, the pace is high, it’s physically demanding, but you can see the results with the chances and the goals scored, so I think I will definitely suit his style,” he added.
Meanwhile, The Magpies coach Eddie Howe said the recruitment of the footballer who was born on December 9, 1997 was due to his admiration for the player’s skills for a long time.
“Harvey is an exciting talent who I have admired for a long time so I am delighted to welcome him to Newcastle United,” said Howe.
“He is strong, fast and very good technically and he showed last season in particular that he looks for goals from wide positions.”
According to him, Barnes’ arrival will add a new dimension to his game which will appear in four competitions next season, namely the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League.
“He will add a different element to our game and we look forward to working with him as we prepare for next season.”
