Newcastle United fans will be partying long into the night after their first trophy for 70 years, with Eddie Howe's men beating Liverpool 2-1 under the famous Wembley arches on Sunday afternoon - and their gaffer may just have realised that he could have saved £60million in the process.
Dan Burn's bullet header from a Kieran Trippier corner sent the black and white end of the national stadium into delirium on the stroke of half-time, and that ecstasy grew further when Alexander Isak did what he does best by notching his 23rd goal of the season in all competitions just moments after having an effort ruled out by VAR. It was a frantic, end-to-end game from there with Federico Chiesa halving the deficit, but the Magpies stood strong to banish their silverware hoodoo.
Harvey Barnes Performance Could Save Newcastle £60million
Eddie Howe's star did extremely well on the left-hand side
Newcastle United winger Harvey Barnes
However, aside from the celebrations, Howe could have noticed a transfer stroke of genius, which could save the club some serious cash - with Harvey Barnes' performance throwing up a positive dilemma for the boss.
Harvey Barnes's Premier League statistics - Newcastle squad ranking
Stats
Goals
Assists
Key Passes Per Game
Shots Per Game
Dribbles Per Game
Match rating
Newcastle have long been linked with strengthening their right-wing ranks, with Jacob Murphy holding down the fort with some strong performances over the years - but with the Magpies looking to become regular qualifiers for the top four, they could look for extra quality.
In the absence of Anthony Gordon, not much was expected from the Magpies on the left with their speedy young Scouser banned after a red card vs Brighton in the FA Cup. But Barnes turned in a spectacular performance against Jarell Quansah, who was a makeshift full-back for the Reds on the day.
He's a player with considerable quality in the Newcastle ranks who doesn't quite get the praise he deserves thanks to Gordon's brilliance; and cutting in from the left, the £120,000-per-week star is arguably more precise and productive than his England teammate.
Gordon also boasts something that Barnes doesn't quite have - electric pace. And that works better when your strong foot is the same as the wing you're playing on, able to burst past opponents, whilst Barnes' craft can allow him to cut in without relying on his energy so much.
Antoine Semenyo, Bryan Mbeumo and Johan Bakayoko are all players who have been linked with a Tyneside move, with the Brentford star being touted for a £60million move to St. James' Park. But for Barnes, it seems unfair to keep him benched for Gordon - and if Howe can utilise both in their three-man attack, it could save him money to spend elsewhere for their star-studded squad to improve further.
Statistics courtesy of WhoScored. Correct as of 16-03-25.
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