Taylor Harwood-Bellis speaks of Southampton ‘excitement’ amid Burnley return talk…
Taylor Harwood-Bellis has admitted he’s excited by the prospect of working under Will Still at Southampton next season – amid talk of a potential Burnley return.
Journalist Alan Nixon recently claimed the Clarets have identified their former loan star as a potential replacement for CJ Egan-Riley, who has departed Turf Moor to join Marseille on a free transfer.
Scott Parker’s side are reportedly weighing up a permanent or loan deal for the 23-year-old, who has just suffered relegation from the Premier League with the Saints. A loan move would likely include an option to make the deal permanent.
If the centre-back does remain on the South Coast, he will have a new manager to work under following the appointment of Still – who arrives from French side RC Lens.
Harwood-Bellis has only spoken with the Belgian-born English coach briefly but was left with a good impression.
“You used the word there, excited. The boys are excited,” he told Sky Sports.
“A new manager has come in, he’s young, so he’s kind of on his way to the top.
Harwood-Bellis suffered relegation from the Premier League with Southampton last season (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Harwood-Bellis suffered relegation from the Premier League with Southampton last season (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
“We want to help him as much as he is going to help us. He is obviously there to put his ideas to us, but we are going to give it our best to learn and be willing to run.
“(We will) do everything for him. I spoke to him briefly, and he seems like a really good guy. Anyone you speak to about him holds him in such high regard.
“We are really excited. The boys, I’m sure, will come in raring to go in order to give the best for him.”
West Ham told to pay £20m plus £10m add-ons to sign Southampton star..
Southampton could demand sizable add-ons from West Ham in a potential deal for Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
The Hammers have shown an interest in the 23-year-old after facing relegation with the Saints in his first full Premier League season.
Despite being involved in a side that accrued just 12 points, the centre-back earned a senior England call-up back in November.
As a result, it would come as little surprise if sizable bonuses as well as an initial fee were demanded by the St Mary’s club for Harwood-Bellis club this summer.
Southampton could future-proof Harwood-Bellis sale
With Will Still coming in as head coach for the second-tier side, there is likely to be a number of changes utilised on the south coast.
This could be set to kick start with a number of big-name sales, with Mateus Fernandes already linked with an exit ahead of the window opening.
Another is Harwood-Bellis, who has already been subject to initial enquiries from the Hammers after signing for the Saints last summer for £20million [TEAMtalk, 24 May].
With that being said, former Brentford and Leicester City manager Martin Allen has suggested that multi-million add-on fees could be utilised from the Championship side in the summer.
“I certainly think he’s better than the centre-backs that West Ham have already got,” Allen told West Ham Zone.
“He’s right-sided, he’s young, and he’s already gotten himself into the England squad.
“I’ve seen him play live a number of times, and I thought he did well, he was wholehearted and committed.
“That age group is certainly one, if you were Graham Potter, that you’d be looking to get on board. I think that £20m fee would be good, nowadays that would be sitting about right for him.
“If I were Southampton, I’d be putting a number of extra bonuses in his contract, like if West Ham got into Europe, then they would get an extra £5m, if he plays for England, then they get another £5m.
“That means if he does extremely well, then Southampton are also rewarded.“
Graham Potter smiling
Graham Potter is set for a busy transfer window at West Ham (Credit: Imago)
West Ham could be put off by Harwood-Bellis fee
There is every chance that the Saints could demand well over £30m for their defender after signing him less than 12 months ago.
This would represent a sizable fee for a player who has a general lack of Premier League experience, regardless of his potential.
League Appearances
Premier League 34
Championship 116
Belgian Pro League 16
Taylor Harwood-Bellis career stats
Despite this, Graham Potter may look to force this sort of deal over the line, given how useful Harwood-Bellis could prove to be at the London Stadium.
Alongside someone like Max Kilman, the Irons could form a useful defensive pairing for many years to come, but may have reservations over the price tag.
Chelsea makes massive Southampton decision but player must resist transfer.
Chelsea have shortlisted Saints star Taylor Harwood-Bellis but the Saints defender must keep in mind the centre-back competition at Chelsea if the Blues open talks with him.
Every year, there’s a fresh summer transfer window but clubs often look to take a leaf out of their previous moves. Southampton too, are aiming to retrace their shrewd Taylor Harwood-Bellis decision which is indeed a less risky transfer route now.
That’s great, but what about Harwood-Bellis who too is a prime favourite to swap clubs ahead of the preseason? So far, Southampton have been urged to play smarter on the transfer fee aspect but that will only come into play when they get a suitable bidder first.
On the positive side, the Saints may have just found the ideal club that can fulfill any asking price they demand. As pointed out by Saints Extra, that outfit is Chelsea who have kept the 22-year-old’s option open for their summer business.
Harwood-Bellis must think twice before joining any club
To begin with, the Blues are a young side who are gradually steering their way to the pinnacle of European football. Hence, Harwood-Bellis will be more than happy to join them and potentially carve out his own Premier League legacy over the years.
Obviously, that’s a difficult challenge but it would take more than just Taylor’s individual quality to become a hit signing at the Stamford Bridge. If you are left puzzled, then just look at Chelsea’s mammoth roster.
They have more than a handful of centre-back profiles and if Harwood-Bellis were to join, then he would have to fend off the cut-throat competition for getting playing time. The other downside lies in having a fine margin of error where a single mistake in the league or cup competitions may make him fall out of favour quickly.
Therefore, the bottom line remains that Harwood-Bellis must weigh up the pros and cons of every interested club before giving his green light to the transfer.
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