Aston Villa are turning their attention to Newcastle United winger Harvey Barnes after Marcus Rashford indicated his desire to remain with Barcelona, according to reports. Rashford posted a message on Instagram stating his commitment to a second season with the Spanish club, effectively ending Villa’s hopes of securing a reunion with the player.
Unai Emery had identified Rashford as a key target, having previously managed the England international during a loan spell at Villa Park in the 2024/25 season. Rashford enjoyed a successful period with Villa, but ultimately chose to pursue a move to Barcelona, where he helped the club win back-to-back LaLiga titles. Barcelona have an option to make the move permanent for €30 million, but are exploring alternative payment structures.
With Rashford seemingly set to stay at Camp Nou, Villa are now focusing on strengthening their attacking options elsewhere. The Daily Mail reports that Emery wants to add both a winger and a central midfielder to his squad ahead of their Champions League campaign. Barnes has emerged as a potential candidate, having impressed with his goalscoring record at Newcastle.
Barnes joined Newcastle from Leicester City in 2023 for a fee of around £38 million and has scored 30 goals in 120 appearances for the club. Notably, these goals have come despite often featuring as a substitute and without including any penalties. The report describes Barnes as a ‘proven’ goalscorer, a quality Villa are clearly seeking.
Newcastle are reportedly open to selling some of their players to fund a squad rebuild, and Villa are expected to bid around the £38 million mark for Barnes. Villa’s spending is currently constrained by Premier League financial regulations, making Barnes a potentially shrewd addition to Emery’s squad. The addition of Barnes would provide Villa with a reliable goal threat and add pace to their attack.
