West Ham and Tottenham are the “ones to watch” as the battle to sign Leicester winger Harvey Barnes heats up, according to CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs.

Writing in his Caught Offside Substack column, the journalist claims the two clubs are the likeliest to table a formal bid for the England international, while Aston Villa and Arsenal have not stepped up their interest yet:

“Barnes had a wonderful season for Leicester despite being relegated, scoring 13 Premier League goals. Spurs and West Ham are ones to watch. I would keep an eye on Villa, too, where Barnes’ ex-Leicester teammate Your Tielemans moved to recently on a free transfer. Arsenal haven’t joined the race yet, but it’s probably fair to say they are monitoring the situation.”

Securing Barnes’ signature would be a big coup for the Hammers if they can get it done. The 25-year-old was in outstanding form last season, scoring 13 league goals and ending the campaign as Leicester’s top scorer despite the Foxes’ relegation to the Championship.

A bid for Barnes is still likely to be dependent on funds from Rice’s sale

After spending a sizeable amount on new signings last year, it did seem as if West Ham would be tightening the purse strings for the summer transfer window.

However, the expected sale of captain Declan Rice means manager David Moyes could well have a significant budget once again. Where Barnes fits in terms of transfer priorities, though, it is hard to know.

A replacement for Rice is probably the number one focus, while a striker will be required if Gianluca Scamacca departs, but adding more depth on the wing may also be considered. A lot will probably depend on how much Leicester want for Barnes. Although they have been relegated, they are tough negotiators so talks could be long and drawn out.