West Ham in pole position to sign £40m Newcastle & Aston Villa target after St James’ Park visit

Newcastle, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur have also targeted the 25-year-old, who scored 13 goals in 34 appearances as Leicester were relegated from the Premier League on the final day. Barnes scored in the 2-1 win over West Ham but it wasn’t enough as results elsewhere confirmed The Foxes’ relegation to the Championship.

Barnes and several of his Leicester team-mates are likely to move elsewhere this summer, including long-term Newcastle target James Maddison. Both players recently visited St James’ Park for the 0-0 draw which saw The Magpies confirm Champions League qualification.

Although Champions League football is a big incentive for Newcastle transfer targets, West Ham’s 2-1 Conference League final win over Fiorentina on Wednesday night guaranteed them a spot in next season’s Europa League group stage.

According to The Telegraph, The Hammers are ‘at the front of the queue’ to sign Barnes following the boost of European football. And Declan Rice’s expected big-money move is set to provide West Ham with a significant budget to spend this summer.

Leicester value Barnes at £40million but have little leverage following their relegation as sides who have secured European football register their interest. Barnes has two-years left on his current deal at the King Power Stadium.

Newcastle remain tempted to make a move for the winger, especially given the uncertainty surrounding Allan Saint-Maximin’s future on Tyneside.

The summer transfer window opens for Premier League clubs on Wednesday, June 14 and closes on Friday, September 1.