Aston Villa could be forgiven for thinking that they were the only club interested in signing Southampton's highly rated centre back, Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
Now, it appears that Manchester United are considering tabling a bid for the Saints' vice-captain.
Villa could be made to regret skimping on their offer, which, up to now, has not reached the minimum Southampton are prepared to accept for their England international .
There is a huge difference between declaring an interest and putting some cash on the table, but with time running out in the window, Premier League clubs may well jump in with late bids for a player who impressed in the Championship last season.
Journalist Ben Jacobs believes that Michael Carrick may be readying an offer closer to Southampton's valuation. That could spark a bidding war with Villa that could fatten Southampton's bank balance quite nicely.
The Ordóñez domino effect
When Arsenal swooped in to take Villa's Ezri Konsa, it was obvious that at least some of that £51m would be reinvested in Harwood-Bellis.
🚨 Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis has been discussed by Manchester United, who are exploring centre-back options #saintsfc @JacobsBen pic.twitter.com/8kE7dN0li1
— SaintsExtra (@SaintsExtra) August 27, 2026
The opening bid, when it came, was an insult. Villa offered £18m, which was rejected in no uncertain terms. When Villa increased their offer, it was still at least £5m below Saints asking price and Johannes Spors said no again.
Villa's response was to go shopping elsewhere. When Joel Ordóñez agreed terms with Crystal Palace on Wednesday, it left the West Midlands club embarrassed and still without a replacement for Konsa.
West Ham's Jean-Clair Todibo is another name being heavily linked with a move to Villa Park, which leaves the Harwood-Bellis deal dead in the water.
Should Villa fail to land Todibo, Southampton will be left holding all the cards in a deal that has taken the Villains far too long to get over the line. Villa are a club running out of options, and talkSPORT reports that they have been back in contact with Southampton about Harwood-Bellis, must surely be true.
The Taylor timeline
Southampton are in no rush to sell Harwood-Bellis, who is contracted to the club until 2028. It has been reported that there is no release clause, and that has enabled Sport Republic to keep declining offers. Time is the one card that the Saints are holding. It just happens to be the Ace.
Time, for Villa is running out. The window slams shut (it always seems to slam) at 11pm on Tuesday and there isn't a Saints fan reading this who wouldn't be happy to see Harwood-Bellis on the pitch at Birmingham rather than having a medical in the West Midlands.
Whatever happens with Harwood-Bellis, Southampton remain soft at the back. West Ham's reserve team highlighted the weakness on Tuesday night, before Tonda Eckert threw both Wood and Stephens under the bus in the post-match interview.
Keven Schlotterbeck has arrived from Augsburg to replace Jack Stephens, who has started the season as he did the last one: awfully.
Joshua Quarshie continues to be overlooked, and only now can the folly of parting with Ronnie Edwards be fairly judged. Quarshie is rumoured to be off to Austria on loan at Sturm Graz. What a deal that is for the Austrians.
If Villa's interest cools and United decide to look elsewhere, Southampton will keep a defender who asked to leave in May. That is rarely a good thing.
United's interest changes the nature of the negotiations. If Villa are serious, they may just be given the nudge they need to stop messing Saints around and pay the asking price.
James Ward-Prowse looks like he will be arriving for next to nothing, which makes the money for Harwood-Bellis less of a necessity.
Verdict: The pressure is off Southampton to sell. Keep him unless Villa meet the asking price.
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