Harvey Barnes transfer development emerges at West Ham United amid Declan Rice medical news
West Ham will soon step up their pursuit of Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes, according to talkSPORT.
The broadcaster reported on Thursday morning (29 June) that Declan Rice is set to undergo a medical with Arsenal soon with the Irons looking to reinvest some of the £105million fee for their captain to improve their attacking options.
Barnes, 25, looks set to follow fellow Englishman and Leicester teammate James Maddison with a move back to the Premier League this summer.
Reinvest to improve
Following the sale of Declan Rice for a club-record sale of £105million, West Ham will be looking to not only replace their captain but make improvements across the squad.
West Ham have been in pole position to secure the signature of the England international [Telegraph], but following the near-conclusion of the Rice transfer saga they appear to be stepping up their interest.
Before Leicester’s relegation from the Premier League, Barnes reportedly [Leicester Mercury] had a price tag of £50million, but now the Foxes will likely have to settle for a cut-price deal similar to Maddison’s move to Tottenham.
However, David Moyes’ side will also face competition for Barnes’ signature from other Premier League sides including Newcastle and Aston Villa [The Guardian].
It is clear why West Ham would be interested in the player. Despite a tough season for Leicester, Barnes was something of a standout. The academy boy earned himself his best goal return in his senior career with 13 league goals and two assists.
Additionally, Barnes is surprisingly good in the air finding himself in the 85th percentile of aerial duels won for his position [FBRef] which makes him a threat on the counterattack with his ability to knock down passes to advancing teammates.
Barnes will have a good claim to being an immediate starter for the Hammers, as Saïd Benrahma has often disappointed for West Ham. That being said, the Algerian’s 12 goals in all competitions this season show a steady improvement for the winger, so competition for the left winger spot may be tense next season.
Either way, David Moyes would be happy to have so many attackers to choose from. With West Ham reportedly keen on a move for Denis Zakaria [TuttoJuve] and Djibril Sow [Sport BILD], the Hammers are not wasting any time in preparing for a post-Rice world at the London Stadium.
In other West Ham news, a big-money striker has committed to leaving east London.