Harvey Barnes is considering switching his international allegiance from England to Scotland, according to a report in The Times.
The Newcastle United winger has been capped once for Gareth Southgate's senior England side, after he came on as a late substitute in a 3-0 friendly win over Wales back in 2020.
Because it wasn't a competitive fixture, Barnes is still eligible to make the switch to Scotland, for whom he qualifies through his maternal grandparents.
If he is to make the move, Barnes couldn't be picking a better time to join up with Scotland, given that they are already on the verge of qualification for Euro 2024.
Steve Clarke's side have won all five of their matches in the campaign so far, including stunning victories over Spain and Norway earlier in the year.
Scotland on verge of Euros
They will become the first nation, aside from hosts Germany, to book their spot at the tournament if Norway and Georgia draw with each other on Tuesday night, while the Scots are kept busy with a friendly against England.
It's been a remarkable turnaround for a fanbase that had become so used to underperforming, with their Euro 2020 qualification ending a long wait to reach a tournament that stretched back to the 1998 World Cup.
Scott McTominay has been at the centre of Clarke's revolution, with the Manchester United midfielder now remarkably the joint-top scorer in qualifying with six goals, alongside past and present Red Devils strikers Romelu Lukaku and Rasmus Hojlund.
Great start 🏹 @NUFC pic.twitter.com/9vPf2x8gKy
— Harvey Barnes (@harveybarnes97) August 13, 2023
Harvey Barnes to Scotland
The addition of Barnes would certainly benefit Scotland heading into the tournament, as he has showed what is capable of at Premier League over the past few years with Leicester City.
The 25-year-old scored 35 top flight goals in 146 appearances for the Foxes, before making the move to St. James' Park earlier this summer, following relegation.
He wasted no time in settling in at Newcastle, by registering a goal and assist on his debut, in a 5-1 victory over Aston Villa on the opening day of the Premier League season.
