Leicester City have a raft of young talent in their first team ranks, four of which are graduates from the club’s ever-impressive academy. With Luke Thomas making way for experienced full-backs returning from injury, and whispers that Hamza Choudhury might be surplus to requirements, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has taken the mantle as the most exciting current player who came through the Foxes’ youth system.
The midfielder’s surge into the first team took the shine away from another academy product, Harvey Barnes, as Leicester fans diverted their attention from the winger’s development, captivated by Dewsbury-Hall’s dramatic rise to being one of the first names on the team sheet. It was not that long ago that Barnes was a shoo in for any Brendan Rodgers starting eleven, but as the thrilling performances the winger exhibited early on in his Foxes career became fewer and further between, fans quickly became frustrated.
The arrival of Ademola Lookman on loan from RB Leipzig at the start of last season was met with mixed reviews from Foxes supporters. Despite an underwhelming start for the now Nigerian international, general consensus among the Blue Army seems to be that his loan move should be made permanent.
If the England man had been on top of his game last season, and admittedly many of Leicester’s players were not in large parts, then the cries to bring Lookman back would undoubtedly have been quieter. At the start of last season, Lookman’s numbers when compared with Barnes’ output from the 20/21 campaign were positive.
The Nigerian ended on six goals in the Premier League, the same number as his England teammate, but Barnes proved his worth by providing ten assists, whereas Lookman registered none. This meant the wingman had a direct goal involvement every 131 minutes.
The 2022/23 campaign is without doubt a massive season for Barnes. His current contract is due to expire in the summer of 2025, and the modern landscape of world football dictates that star players should expect to be offered a new deal as they enter the final two years of their existing one. It’s up to the wide man to cement a place in the starting line-up to prove to Brendan Rodgers and the club’s hierarchy that he is worthy of their continued investment in him. Please click the link underneath this paragraph to read the final page of the article.
Not only that, but if Barnes has any desires to progress his career, a stellar 2022/23 campaign can give him a lot of leverage to force a move to a big six club. Much of Barnes’ potential success in the coming campaign may depend on the fitness of Jamie Vardy. The Foxes talisman was absent from the start for 18 Premier League games last season, with his colleague still managing to set up teammates to score on a regular basis.
A fully fit Vardy, which unfortunately for Foxes fans, feels less and less likely by the year, could see a productive link up down the left channel and provide Barnes with the opportunity to elevate his goal involvement stats to a higher level.
It’s surely too late for Gareth Southgate to look at the Fox at the start of the year and decide he wants the winger on the plane to Qatar, but a strong start to the next campaign is more important than just the World Cup. At the age of 24, Barnes can no longer sit on the excuse of being a young or inexperienced player who is bound to make mistakes. He’s at the point in his career where he needs to deliver. And the extent to which he does will shape the level he can reach.