Ask a Southampton fan what to do about Benfica's approach for THB, and you will probably get an unprintable two-word answer.
Benfica have made contact over Taylor Harwood-Bellis and are ready to go to about £17m, or €20m in Euros, according to Belgian reporter Sacha Tavolieri. No formal bid has landed yet.
That figure is the problem, and supporters have clocked it. This is the vice-captain and the best defender at the club, so the idea of waving him off for a fee that starts with a one has gone down like a lead balloon.
Why it's a shrug, not a scramble
Fans have seen this film before. Porto tried the exact same €20m back in January and got shown the door, so the mood now is more eye-roll than emergency.
There's good reason for the calm. Southampton value Harwood-Bellis well above that number, and Saints Marching has spelt out why they cannot afford to lose him so soon after cashing in on Shea Charles.
Cast an eye over his standing, too. He's 24, wears the armband, and Transfermarkt has him at roughly ÂŁ18m, more than the Portuguese are offering. Southampton paid a ÂŁ20m obligation to sign him from Manchester City in 2024, so selling at a loss during a promotion push would make no sense at all.
The demand from the terraces is simple. Keep him, or make Benfica pay a number that actually reflects what he is wor.
What holding firm would say
Selling their talisman in mid-August would send a message, and not a good one. Supporters know a promotion tilt needs its best players on the pitch, not banked for profit.
Harwood-Bellis has racked up 154 Championship games in red and white. Ten goals and eight assists sit next to that, unusual numbers for a centre-half, and Saints Marching noted his decision to stay this long was already a pleasant surprise to most fans.
Keep him and the club backs up its promotion talk. Cash in cheap and the goodwill drains fast.
He took the vice-captain armband when Adam Armstrong left in January. The role has made him better. He was integral under Eckert last season, close to ever-present at the back. Supporters trust him. They'd rather he helped skipper a promotion charge than plugged a hole in someone else's back line.
Verdict: The message to the boardroom is loud and clear. Benfica can admire him all they like, but ÂŁ17m does not get a conversation started, let alone a deal done.
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