For a Fantasy Premier League (FPL) midfielder who scored 13 goals last season, £6.5m seems like a generous price for Harvey Barnes.
The former Leicester City wide-man has joined Newcastle United for a reported £38m, signing a five-year deal.
It’s one left-winger in and another one out on Tyneside, as Allan Saint-Maximin (£6.0m) heads for the exit.
We run the rule over Barnes and ask whether he could provide value for money in FPL this year.
BARNES TO NEWCASTLE: IN QUOTES
“I think it’s an attacker’s dream to come into a team like this: it’s high-paced, it’s physically demanding, but you can see the rewards of that with the chances and the goals scored, so I think I’ll certainly suit the style.” – Harvey Barnes
“With any attacking player, you’re looking for a product firstly, so goals and assists. You want him to support the team ethic and have an understanding of how we try to be successful, with everyone pitching in and contributing both in and out of possession.
“I think we saw today he has the athleticism we require. There were some really sharp moments and bursts of speed and that cut-in, that’s probably his trademark, that type of finish. We’re very excited about what he can bring. I’ve heard he’s an incredible character, so I think he’ll tick all those boxes about being really good around the training ground and wanting to improve and get better.” – Eddie Howe on Harvey Barnes, following the winger’s pre-season debut against Aston Villa
HARVEY BARNES: FPL HISTORY
| Season | Pts | Starts (sub apps) | Mins played | Goals | Assists | Bonus points | Starting price | End price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 138 | 32 (2) | 2,709 | 13 | 2 | 0 | £7.0m | £6.6m |
| 2021/22 | 137 | 24 (8) | 2,095 | 6 | 12 | 10 | £7.0m | £6.5m |
| 2020/21 | 126 | 22 (3) | 1,944 | 9 | 5 | 13 | £7.0m | £6.6m |
| 2019/20 | 133 | 24 (12) | 2,075 | 6 | 10 | 9 | £6.0m | £5.8m |
| 2018/19 | 43 | 11 (5) | 1,001 | 1 | 3 | 1 | £5.5m | £5.5m |
| 2017/18 | 3 | 0 (3) | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | £4.5m | £4.5m |
Barnes’ tally of 13 goals last season was his best-ever in a single campaign.
It was also a total beaten by just five other FPL midfielders, all of them now priced at £8.0m or higher.
The winger’s reward for a baker’s dozen of goals in a relegated side? A price drop of half a million.
Above: The leading FPL midfielders for goals in 2022/23, along with their 2023/24 prices
Barnes averaged just under 16 attacking returns per season in his four years of being a regular in the Leicester side.
WHERE DOES BARNES FIT IN AT NEWCASTLE?
This one is fairly straightforward, with Barnes spending the vast majority of his time out on the left wing at Leicester.
It’s looking like four players tussling for two wing spots if Howe sticks with his usual 4-3-3. Barnes will compete with Anthony Gordon (£5.5m), Miguel Almiron (£6.5m) and Jacob Murphy (£5.0m) for a start, all of whom have had experience playing on the left flank before. In Almiron and Murphy’s cases, however, they have been predominantly used on the opposite wing by their current boss.
It’s worth noting that Joelinton (£6.0m) featured on the left wing quite a bit in 2022/23, while Alexander Isak (£7.5m) had a short spell out wide towards the end of the campaign. Saint-Maximin being unfit, other injuries and Gordon being slowly eased into the side partly accounted for that but we shouldn’t completely disregard the possibility of either player being used there again on the odd occasion.
BARNES V NEWCASTLE MIDFIELDERS: UNDERLYING NUMBERS
