Manchester City defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis is set to leave the Premier League champions on loan, sparking the interest of several Championship sides according to journalist Alan Nixon.
The England U21s international was available for a £15m fee, but a buyer couldn’t be found, which opens the door to a return to the Championship before Friday’s deadline.
Who is Taylor Harwood-Bellis?
The 21-year-old is a product of the Manchester City academy and has enjoyed loan spells with Blackburn Rovers, Stoke City and Burnley, including winning the Championship title with the latter last season.
Harwood-Bellis is also a regular England U21s international and has enjoyed plenty of early success throughout his career so far for both club and country.
Which teams are interested?
According to journalist Alan Nixon, Southampton have joined the race for his services amongst other Championship clubs.
Meanwhile, Leicester City and Leeds United are also circling around the player due to defensive departures of their own but it remains to be seen where he may end up.
Champion success
Harwood-Bellis spent last season on loan at Turf Moor, helping Vincent Kompany’s Burnley to cruise to the Championship title, ahead of Sheffield United in second.
The defender made 35 appearances in all competition for the club, scoring once and assisting on two further occasions. His goal came during a 1-1 draw with Preston North End and he also captained the U21s to European Championship success.
Writer’s View
Harwood-Bellis will have a large number of suiters over the next 48 hours and it will be extremely interesting to see where he does end up after the transfer window closes.
Southampton, Leeds and Leicester are all likely to be favourites due to the nature of then being former Premier League sides last season. However, there are several other clubs like Middlesbrough, Coventry and Swansea that are all in the market for a defender before the window closes, which could make for a thrilling transfer battle.
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