Seen as a flighty and lightweight winger in the past, Harvey Barnes has developed into a key player for Leicester City in the last eighteen months. At just 23 years of age, he has started in 22 league games for Leicester, and was also crucial in their European run which ended with defeat to Slavia Prague.
In the league, he has contributed a very impressive nine goals so far in the season. A talented wide player who can come inside and finish with aplomb, he uses his stocky build well to fight with full-backs.
What makes Harvey Barnes worth watching?
For one, he can play in a wide variety of roles, regularly playing on the left-hand side of attack or off the forward for the Foxes. His passing is excellent, too, and has become a regular contributor for teammates. He avoids getting involved in overplaying, too, and tends to be useful for laying off forwards like Jamie Vardy and playing in teammates with short, sharp passing.
His quality on the ball is excellent, and his contribution in goals and assists has steadily improved, ensuring he remains a key part of Brendan Rodgers’ side.
Things to improve for Harvey Barnes
For Barnes, the main limit stems from his inability to use his physicality elsewhere. Despite being energetic and willing, he often fails to track the opposition well enough and can be caught out making poor decisions. He also tends to be a poor crosser of the ball for someone with such quality, albeit he often plays with his weaker foot on the outside.
However, for Barnes, using some of that stocky strength and charisma going forward to help out going back the way would help to add another layer of quality to his game. Given his improvement in the last year-plus, though, his progression has been highly impressive.