Newcastle United consider shock exit after £40m star ‘agreed’ to transfer

As Newcastle look to balance Financial Fair Play regulations while also improving the squad, Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes has emerged as a top transfer target ahead of the return to pre-season action.

Barnes is set to leave Leicester this summer following relegation to the Championship. The 25-year-old scored 13 Premier League goals for The Foxes last season.

The one-time England international is understood to be keen on a move to Newcastle with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claiming the player has ‘already accepted’ the club as his next destination but the deal would be determined by United’s outgoings.

That’s where Saint-Maximin comes in. The French winger started just 12 league games last season and hasn’t scored a competitive goal since last August.

The Telegraph have reported that the club are willing to sell the 26-year-old in order to help fund their bid for Barnes. Although a formal offer is yet to be made by The Magpies, Barnes is valued at around £40million - the same price-tag the club had previously quoted for Saint-Maximin.

Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea both scoffed at the £40million valuation for Saint-Maximin by Newcastle following initial enquiries last summer and ultimately didn’t make a move. Serie A sides AC Milan and Atalanta have also been credited with an interest while The Telegraph has suggested that clubs in Saudi Arabia have made contacts with the player’s representatives during the off-season.

Saint-Maximin returned to pre-season training at Newcastle on Sunday, quickly taking to social media to declare himself ‘so happy’ to be back.

But following the end of the 2022-23 season, Saint-Maximin took to social media to deliver a cryptic message stating his career was at a ‘turning point’.

At the end of last season, Eddie Howe was quizzed on Saint-Maximin’s future on Tyneside. But the Newcastle boss was quick to put the onus back on the player himself.

“[His future] will be dictated by Maxi himself,” Howe said. “He has so much ability, and he’s such an important player for us when he’s at his very best, fitness-wise. He’s unique, there’s no one like him in the Premier League.”