Harvey Barnes is wanted – why Leicester must retain him

Winter will be a challenging time for Leicester City. They need to set their sights straight to aim for a higher-placed league finish alongside a cup run.

The Foxes have done comparatively well compared to the prior month in terms of their results in October. Manager Brendan Rodgers however, is struggling to chalk out a perfect formation that gives all his valuable assets positions to play. While the defense is still fragile, the Northern Irishman has come up with a 3-5-2, hoping to have more control in the midfield with three midfielders aided by two wingbacks.

This philosophy has disregarded positions that players like Harvey Barnes and Ademola Lookman are accustomed to. With a string of unimpressive performances, Barnes finds himself losing his place as a regular starter and then minimally reduced to a rotational role. His immediate counterpart in Lookman has done relatively well to impress the boss. Also, his versatility helps, as unlike Barnes, Lookman can play in several other positions as well.

Leicester City’s Harvey Barnes on Liverpool’s radar

Liverpool always keeps a keen eye out for Leicester City starlets. They had expressed their interests with players such as Ben Chilwell in 2015 and for Youri Tielemans recently. Harvey Barnes is another name that the Reds are monitoring closely. The Merseyside club evaluates Barnes on the blistering highs that he managed to climb last season.

Barnes has hit a slump after being out with an ailment with his surgically repaired knee. He has visibly struggled to find his footing since returning. The tenacity was missing, and so was the statistical output. His characterized sprints taking on his markers head-on makes Barnes a credible threat. Without those working, Barnes is underperforming in a pitiful manner.

The young forward can do more than being only fundamentally sound as a winger. Jurgen Klopp’s scouting team certainly believes him to be the key to unlocking other areas for Liverpool playing as a second fiddle to Sadio Mane. It becomes critically important for the King Power club to keep Barnes content at East Midlands to prevent his head from turning during the upcoming transfer windows.

To do that, Rodgers needs reliable defenders to switch back to a system that complements wingers and works in harmony. It won’t be easy to keep both Barnes and Tielemans. Someone should be leaving pretty soon, and it’s the harsh reality of the situation. Liverpool promises more glory, more fame, and regular opportunities to feature in the UEFA Champions League.