West Ham United have accelerated their efforts to sign Southampton centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis, according to TEAMtalk.
The 23-year-old was an ever-present figure in the backline for the Saints, featuring in 38 games across all competitions. Despite the club’s bleak season that saw them become the first team to be relegated, his performance has been impressive, and it earned him a first-ever senior England cap last November, where he netted in the 5-0 win over Ireland.
A move back to the Premier League looks likely for the youngster this summer, and West Ham have now joined the race to sign him.
According to TEAMtalk, the Hammers have stepped up efforts to sign Harwood-Bellis after making enquiries about his availability this summer.
The report adds that the East London club have earmarked the centre-back as a key target to bolster their backline. They are now determined to reach an agreement with the Englishman, who is also of keen interest to other Premier League clubs.
While the England international is likely to secure a move to remain in the top flight, Southampton are reluctant to let him go and want to keep him to help them secure promotion back to the Premier League, as per the report.
Harwood-Bellis joined Southampton on a permanent move last summer, and the Hampshire outfit will likely demand more than the £20m they paid Manchester City to sign him.
Reinforcement
West Ham’s defence has been porous throughout the campaign. Following Julen Lopetegui’s departure after a string of bad results, Graham Potter was expected to bring a fresh outlook to the team in terms of performance and results. That has not been the case, as the Hammers have been porous at both ends of the pitch.
In defence, the club have conceded a sky-high 62 goals in 38 games, the third most of any team outside the relegation zone. Only Wolverhampton Wanderers (69) and Tottenham (65) have conceded more of the teams that survived.
The East London outfit needs defensive reinforcements this summer, and Harwood-Bellis would be an excellent addition to their squad.
The young defender has emerged as one of the most reliable centre-backs in the division, a level of consistency that saw him earn a call-up to the national team.
Southampton will likely demand more than £20m to allow him to leave St Mary’s, and it’ll be interesting to see if West Ham are able to agree a fee.
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