There’s no denying Aston Villa have got themselves a brilliant defender in Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
Following reports of a done deal and a completed medical, it’s just a matter of if and when the Saints and Villa agree to announce the transfer. The £25+5m deal is one that all parties will feel positive about.
Harwood-Bellis will offer the Villans an outlet to play out from the back as a capped England international who has already captained Southampton many times at 24. The Manchester City product is a gem that needs polishing, and Unai Emery will have the chance to do just that.
A future England starter
While Southampton needed to cash in, the sale of Taylor Harwood-Bellis leaves a gap in their side that must be accounted for by the September 1st transfer deadline.
Harwood-Bellis is set to sign a five-year deal at Villa Park, a place where Unai Emery has worked wonders since arriving in 2022. The Spanish head coach arrived in Birmingham at the same time as Southampton, who at the time were in a similar Premier League position, appointed Nathan Jones.
The two couldn’t have gone in different directions to one another after that.
Incoming at Aston Villa, Harwood-Bellis is a great pickup for the UEFA Champions League side. While the 24-year-old isn’t quite of that competition’s pedigree yet, Emery will be able to hone in on areas of his game and work on them.
While Harwood-Bellis is a great distributor of the ball and very athletic, he isn’t the perfect tackler. It could be an area Emery will attempt to improve. After all, most clubs spend their transfer money on potential these days, rather than current ability.
The fee could reach £30m in total. It’s a fair deal for all parties, and now Southampton need to bring in a replacement.
Saints' last worry
Technical director Johannes Spors will be tirelessly working away in the final 24 hours of the window to find Southampton a right centre-back.
The Saints have had bids for reported target Henrik Falchener of Norwegian side Viking turned down, while Elche’s David Affengruber has rejected them to pursue a move to Crystal Palace.
One bid that remains pending is for Borussia Dortmund youngster Luca Reggiani, according to Sky Sports reporter Luca Bendoni. The 18-year-old has already been capped for Italy and could be heading for the south coast.
It’s set to be a busy final stint of the window. Yuki Sugawara and Damion Downs are set to head out on loan, while futures for Cameron Archer and Aaron Ramsdale remain hopelessly unclear. It’s going to be an interesting ride.
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