Harvey Barnes open to Aston Villa move as 'big obstacle' emerges
Harvey Barnes is understood to be keen on a move to Aston Villa.
The Villans are interested in the Newcastle ace, who notched 16 goals and six assists last season.
Barnes featured 57 times last season, and his contributions would do wonders for the B6 outfit.
A report from the Daily Mail on Tuesday claimed that the winger is open to the switch.
It states that Unai Emery is keen to add new attacking options, especially in the wide areas.
However, it will not be an easy deal for the Villa Park side to do, and they may struggle to sign him.
What is the big obstacle for Aston Villa to sign Harvey Barnes?
The obstacle for Villa would be the cost that it would take to make a deal with the Magpies.
The report claims that the St James' Park side would look for around £40million to sell the 28-year-old.
It states that figure would prove to be a big obstacle for Emery's side, given their difficulty with financial regulations at the moment.
The settlement agreement that they reached with UEFA for breaching the rules last season means that they have to bring in more money than they fork out.
Money troubles to rear their head again for Aston Villa?
Villa may be able to strike a more favourable deal with Eddie Howe's side, given their previous relationship.
The B6 side sold Jacob Ramsey to the Tyneside outfit last season, with a £40m fee, to ease their PSR concerns, although ultimately they still fell short in UEFA's eyes.
Perhaps, the Magpies would help the UEFA Europa League champions by agreeing to terms which suit them.
It could include bonuses, rather than a straight fee, so Villa have more manoeuvrability in terms of the regulations.
They may seek the full fee, and not allow the Villans to benefit from their co-operation last time around, but it is a possibility.
Whether Emery and Co can convince them to sanction a cheaper figure remains to be seen.
They may not want to strengthen a competitor after their own miserable campaign, though, and could forget any goodwill that went their way for the Ramsey sale.
The fact that Barnes is open to a move means little if his club are not willing to make the deal achievable.