Claret & Hugh have been informed this evening that reports claiming West Ham United bid £18 million for Taylor Harwood-Bellis are completely false.
The news comes via a trusted transfer source who has been involved in negotiations with both clubs over the years and took the unprecedented step of contacting us directly to put the record straight.
Over recent days, several media outlets suggested West Ham had initially offered £12 million for the defender before reportedly increasing that bid to £18 million, at which point the Hammers were believed to have walked away.
However, our source reached out to clarify the situation, stating plainly:
“West Ham never offered £18m.”
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Speaking earlier this evening, we were told:
“I don’t know where this report came from. West Ham never bid any money for Harwood-Bellis. They did make a proposal, which was a loan agreement with an obligation to buy if West Ham stayed in the Premier League. But I think some of the information has got a bit muddled here. As for the £18 million figure, that was what Southampton FC asked for to allow the player to leave. But I can assure you West Ham never offered any money.”
West Ham did not make a concrete offer for Harwood Bellis
Loan Proposal Rejected Before Disasi Switch
Not that it matters now, of course, but we’re happy to set the record straight.
In light of this new information, it does seem odd that — having banked transfer money from Lucas Paquetá and appearing unwilling to invest further elsewhere — the club would suddenly sanction an £18 million deal.
Instead, after Southampton rejected West Ham’s loan proposal, the Hammers moved for Axel Disasi, bringing the centre-back in on loan from Chelsea.
So while the Harwood-Bellis links made plenty of noise online, the reality is far less dramatic: no bid, no £18 million offer — just another case of transfer reporting getting ahead of the facts. And it’s particularly interesting given the number of stories which have emerged over recent days of players West Ham ‘nearly signed’, which must surely now be taken with a pinch of salt.