Harvey Barnes has made no secret of his disappointment at not starting games for Newcastle United of late - and Eddie Howe must ensure the wide man does not become disheartened with a bit-part role at St James' Park.
With the January transfer window creeping closer, talk of Barnes being one of the players who could depart lingers given Newcastle's continued PSR concerns. “The days when teams don’t sell big players are gone,” [Howe](https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/all-about/eddie-howe) said just last week. “I think our revenue streams aren’t where we want them to be. We’re still trying to grow them, so I think that trading in and out is going to be essential.
“Hopefully it’s not going to be players that we’re forced to sell but you can’t guarantee anything. The issue with PSR and our position is that nothing is clearcut."
In truth, [Newcastle](https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/all-about/newcastle-united-fc) have limited sellable assets. They could easily offload a player of Alexander Isak or Bruno Guimaraes' ilk but any sale of that significance will not go down well, and despite raising serious funds to reinvest it would also leave Howe's side weaker.
As such, squad players such as Kieran Trippier, Callum Wilson, Miguel Almiron and Sean Longstaff are those being touted with January or summer exits. Barnes, naturally, is another to be attracting interest given the fact he is struggling to hold down a starting spot in Howe's side.
Brought in for £39m, the left-sided forward represents one of the heftier outlays from the club's ownership but after a debut season derailed by a freak foot injury, Barnes has never really truly got going on Tyneside. It, of course, doesn't help that he is up against Anthony Gordon for a starting spot on his favoured flank.
Despite calls for Barnes to be offloaded to bring in much-needed transfer funds, Newcastle need players of his quality battling it out and, sometimes unfortunately, being there to call upon from the sidelines. If the Magpies want to match the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal they must begin to act like them - and that means having multiple top quality players in every area of the pitch.
Two thriving wingers, on each side, two fit and firing forwards, four central defenders jockeying for two slots and five or six central midfielders eyeing one of Howe's three midfield slots. Barnes and Gordon battling it out on the left gives the boss a positive headache - and for as long as Newcastle fail to sign an out and out right-winger who is going to start most games, there is going to be plenty of game time for the aforementioned duo together.
"I want to play every game from the beginning. When you are not playing I am always going to be disappointed," Barnes said earlier this season. "But I always believe I am somebody who is going to use that in the right way and when I do come on the pitch I will help the team and show what I can do.
"I did that at Forest and it is what I will always try to do. But of course, I am a player who feels like I should be starting and I have a lot give the team. You can praise the manager for bringing you on and helping the team get three points but you are also using it as a shop window to start games."