Harvey Barnes would be "open to going to St James Park", but Newcastle United's deal to sign the Leicester City winger isn't as advanced as initially reported, claims journalist Alex Crook.

Is Havey Barnes joining Newcastle United?

It has been an interesting start to the transfer window for Newcastle this summer. While many might have expected the wealthiest club in the world to start splashing the cash on whatever player took their fancy, they have actually been relatively reserved in their spending.

So far, the only big-name player to make their way to the north east this summer has been Italian international Sandro Tonali, who left his boyhood club to join the Toon in a deal worth a reported £55m.

That's not to say players haven't been linked to Eddie Howe's side, though, as Leicester winger Barnes has been one of the names constantly touted for a move to the Magpies this summer, with the Daily Mail reporting earlier this month that a deal was 'close.'

While the imminent nature of the arrival turned out to be false, the interest is not, with the Express reporting that the Magpies remain firm favourites to sign the player and that an offer as low as £30m could be all it takes to get it done.

One of the reasons that previous reports on this transfer might've been so premature is that Newcastle's FFP concerns were not considered to be as bad as they actually are, per journalist Alex Crook.

He explained the situation live on air, which was later posted to TalkSPORT's YouTube channel:

"With Harvey Barnes, I never felt that this deal was quite as advanced as maybe had been reported because of the financial restraints that Newcastle are operating under.

"I think he's open to going to St James' Park and playing in the Champions League, but I wouldn't rule West Ham out of that race either."

Is Harvey Barnes good enough for Newcastle United?

He might've been relegated with Leicester last season, but Barnes – who has been hailed a "beast" – would undoubtedly be a brilliant addition to Howe's exciting Magpies team.

Over the last few years, he has shown that he has the necessary skills and the ability to thrive in the Premier League, and the Foxes' drop down to the Championship wasn't because of him; if anything, it was in spite of him.

Across his 34 Premier League games last season, the 25-year-old scored 13 goals and created one assist, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 2.42 games, earning himself an average match rating of 6.66, per WhoScored.

His underlying statistics are interesting in that he clearly excels in some areas whilst putting up slightly more average numbers in others, suggesting that he might benefit from playing in a more progressive and better-coached side.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, Barnes is in the top 6% for non-penalty goals, the top 15% for aerial duals won, and the top 17% for non-penalty expected goals, all per 90.

However, he also only ranks in the top 34% for total shots, 37% for progressive passes received, 38% for touches in the opposition's penalty area, and 42% for progressive carries, all per 90.

If the Toon have the opportunity to get this deal done for the price reported, it seems like a no-brainer, as even if he doesn't improve much, he would still likely score ten-plus goals a season for the side.