Despite Newcastle United wanting Harvey Barnes, a deal is not "as close as some people have suggested", according to Pete Graves.
Is Barnes joining Newcastle?
There were not too many in Leicester City blue that stood out for the right reasons last season as the Foxes suffered relegation to the Championship, but Barnes still managed to put up some good numbers in a disappointing campaign.
Netting 13 goals in 34 Premier League games was a very respectable total for the 25-year-old last season, who enjoyed the best goalscoring season of his professional career in spite of the underwhelming performances of those around him.
That is not to say Barnes was perfect last season, but he certainly did his best to ensure that the Foxes beat the drop.
Such an impressive output teamed with the fact that he is now playing for a Championship club has understandably drawn interest from some of the Premier League's top sides, with Newcastle at the front of the queue.
The Magpies have been strongly linked with the left-winger, with some reports even suggesting a deal is done, but Sky Sports' Graves believes a transfer is still some way off.
Speaking on the Transfer Talk podcast, Graves said: "Look, I think Harvey Barnes is definitely on the list. I don't think it's as close as some people have suggested, but there's definitely an interest from Newcastle.
He added: "I think Harvey Barnes, before I go on too long, is a target. I think that he scored 13 goals in the Premier League last season and to put that into perspective that is more Premier League goals than Allan Saint-Maximin has scored since arriving in England.
"So, there's been talk that Allan Saint-Maximin could leave the club, talk of interest from Saudi Arabia, and it would be for me quite an obvious replacement. Saint-Maximin would go and Harvey Barnes would come in and he would provide competition on the wings. So, yeah, it's one I can see happening but I don't think it's close."
One potential reason why the deal could be some distance away is Leicester's large valuation of the one-cap England international, with the Foxes having reportedly slapped a £60m price tag on the winger last summer to fend off Newcastle interest. However, that fee may be lower this time round, something which Eddie Howe could capitalise on.
Barnes, who came through the academy at Leicester, was part of the famous 2021 FA Cup winners and has managed 45 goals and 32 assists in 187 games for the Midlands side.
Who are Newcastle signing?
Having already signed AC Milan's Sandro Tonali for approximately £55m, the Magpies are expected to continue investing in their squad over the summer window as they prepare for life back in the Champions League.
One area which Howe is believed to be looking to strengthen is at centre-back with Monaco's Axel Disasi emerging as a target in recent days. The four-cap French international is 25-years-old and has thoroughly impressed in Ligue 1.
The Magpies are also looking at reinforcing others defensive areas, chiefly right-back. As a result, links to Southampton's Tino Livramento have surfaced, despite the fact that the youngster missed all but two games for the Saints last season following a year-long cruciate ligament injury.
With the extra workload that comes with European football, Howe has to make sure his squad has strength in depth, something that was perhaps lacking at times last season.
