That is not how issues ended for Harvey Barnes.
If the final promotion was his breakout season, that was the 12 months he flirted with being a Premier League famous person. Now, due to a knee damage he acquired at Arsenal at the tip of February, he may presumably be pressured to look from the stands because the membership he has been at since a teenager received his first ever FA Cup and secured Champions League soccer.
Barnes was stretched out in opposition to Arsenal | Michael Regan / Getty Photographs
Earlier than his damage, Barnes was the fox’s most vital man. Beginning with a superb strike in his crew’s 2-2 draw in opposition to Manchester United on Boxing Day, Barnes managed six targets and three assists within the Premier League after Christmas.
A few of his contributions had been additionally essential. With Leicester 1-0 down in opposition to bogey crew Crystal Palace, Barnes broke via a bunch of crimson and blue shirts earlier than firing a left-footed shot into the underside nook with seven minutes to play. As well as, his medical strike killed within the fox’s 3-1 victory over Liverpool in February.
His electrical winter type even positioned him as an outsider to make England’s Euro 2020 squad and the indisputable fact that Gareth Southgate can now take 26 gamers would have strengthened Barne’s fall. Nonetheless, Barnes will work arduous behind the scenes as an alternative of spreading across the continent throughout the summer time and quietly plans to come back again stronger than ever subsequent season.
The one potential roadblock to his return is to search out a spot for him to play in Brendan Rodger’s new 3-4-1-2 lineup. Earlier within the season, Barnes had been the fox’s foremost menace, taking part in as a left winger in a 4-2-3-1. Nonetheless, Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy look like the perfect Premier League strike duo since Sutton and Shearer seemingly means Rodgers will proceed with two forwards as their go-to system subsequent season.
Thus, there appear to be two potential positions that Barnes can play. One risk is wing-back. He does possess the physicality to excel within the position, but it surely is just not ultimate to torment a participant of his affect with an excessive amount of defensive accountability.
An alternate may very well be to show vidman right into a central striker. It is smart for a lot of causes.
The kids’s finish has come quick steps this season Pool / Getty Photographs
Above all, Leicester are recognized for being looking out for Vardy’s long-term successors. Though the 34-year-old is much from a damaged flush, there may be a rising feeling among the many foxes’ trustworthy that his newest health issues could have mitigated a few of his explosiveness and medical profit.
As a substitute of dipping into an advanced switch market this summer time, Leicester could have already got a ready-made Vardy choice in Barnes. The similarities between the couple are clear. Each have a blowing tempo and will not be afraid to interact defenders bodily.
Fearlessness additionally runs via every participant like a stone. Probably the most enduring issues about Barnes is his refreshing direct dribbling, a transfer he appears to have picked straight out of Vardy’s playbook.
Lastly, there are similarities as effectively. Barnes was as soon as thought-about ruthless in entrance of objective however this season he has improved markedly. In the course of the 2019/2020 marketing campaign, he underperformed his xG by 2.7, with solely six Premier League gamers performing worse.
This time he has made probably the most of his possibilities and surpassed his xG by 2.8 – the thirteenth finest determine within the division. Vardy is considered one of the various gamers he has crushed within the closing, with the figures suggesting that he must have had 5 extra targets than he has managed thus far.
Approaching Leicester’s present system provides additional hope for a easy transition for the 23-year-old. Greater than ever earlier than, Vardy has pulled extensive to compensate for his crew’s lack of fringes and fringes. As a result of of this, Barnes was nonetheless in a position to minimize in from the left as he has completed so successfully in latest seasons.
Is Barnes a future striker? | Michael Regan / Getty Photographs
Every little thing sounds very promising, however Foxes followers ought to settle for that the potential change is seemingly to have some dental issues. Barnes actually didn’t look so snug when he led the road in opposition to Arsenal earlier within the season with Vardy needing to are available in and save the day. To say that, with Iheanacho as a foil and Rodgers adjusting his sport on the coaching floor, there may be nothing stopping him from inventing himself as an explosive midfielder
