Insider: Harvey Barnes to Newcastle “in 7 to 10 days”, Allan Saint-Maximin sale next?

The initial reports about a serious interest of Newcastle in Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes emerged a few days ago. Multiple media outlets such as The Guardian and the Daily Mail were already considering the deal a fait accompli with the Magpies sitting in pole position for acquiring Barnes throughout the summer transfer window.

In a newsletter published on Sunday, July 9, football insider Fabrizio Romano (whose information you must believe and take as gospel) confirmed the rumors and guaranteed a deal is coming soon between Newcastle and Leicester for the transfer of Harvey Barnes.

Romano wrote that the winger is “close to Newcastle,” and that he thinks a deal “could be closed within the next seven to ten days.”

The football insider said that the timeline he offered is a solid one “if all goes according to plan,” which is pretty much a foregone conclusion these days around the NUFC HQ with the financial muscle they have after the PIF takeover.

Expect positive news in the next few days and to see Barnes donning black and white stripes in mid-to-late July, folks.

Perhaps more interesting is the final sentence in Romano’s newsletter, though, as he referenced a current Newcastle player as a potential key piece in the global business of the Magpies this summer if only to ease the Financial Fair Play numbers that the club must comply with in the future to avoid penalties: Allan Saint-Maximin.

Romano wrote that it is “possible” that ASM leaves Newcastle this summer. He added that a sale is “not guaranteed yet,” although he’s been fed information talking about such a transaction as a “possibility” and something that is “being discussed” inside the club.

While this is hardly new and we already know that Saint-Maximin would most probably become the no. 1 sellable asset for the Newcastle front office if they want to get something of value in return, Romano’s scoop confirms what we all expected to be true. ASM seems to have his days in Newcastle numbered, for better or for worse.

Entering the final week of June and with the arrival of Sandro Tonali nearly agreed but still pending some final touches, we already reported a story published by Jacob Whitehead of The Athletic ($) in which he touched on a potential ASM sale to fund Tonali’s transfer at least partially.

Whitehead wrote that Newcastle’s coaching staff believes that Saint-Maximin is “both their most saleable asset and does not fit into Eddie Howe’s style as much as other players.”

The NUFC beat reporter added that “Newcastle’s hierarchy knows the Frenchman offers a completely different profile for unlocking [low-block] defenses,” and thus there is “no active desire to sell at Newcastle’s end,” adding that in any case the club “will listen to offers.”

Again, nothing is set in stone when it comes to selling ASM at this point. Newcastle won’t just give the French player for free, but they definitely will not oppose at least entertaining the idea and entering negotiations with calling clubs.

Both angles—Whitehead’s and Romano’s—seem to align and the information they shared at different points in time and coming from undisclosed sources fits each other to a tee.

So... Barnes in, Saint-Maximin out? We’ll see.