West Ham United make £15m transfer decision on signing Taylor Harwood-Bellis from Manchester City
West Ham United were put off a move for Manchester City centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis due to his £15million valuation, according to Alan Nixon.
The newspaper journalist claimed on his Patreon (17 August) that the likes of Leeds United, Fulham, and Burnley mirrored the West Ham’s’ thinking in regard to the price tag, while Nottingham Forest have emerged as the latest Premier League side to turn their attention to the England under-21 star.
The 21-year-old spent last season on loan to Burnley and helped them achieve promotion, but he has absent from City’s UEFA Super Cup clash on Wednesday (16 August), suggesting a move away could well be on the cards.
Don’t know what they’re missing
West Ham’s decision to pull out on a deal for such a decorated and gifted young defensive talent is a really strange one considering the kind of profile technical director Tim Steidten is targeting this summer.
Also, given the huge financial warchest available to the club after the sales of Declan Rice and Gianluca Scamacca, £15m should seem like chicken change to the Hammers.
In fact, that price tag is an exceptional bargain given Harwood Bellis’ talent and his remarkable potential to grow into one of the best in his position in the near future.
With a move for Stuttgart defender Konstantinos Mavropanos in the works, their position on Harwood-Bellis is understandable but still, it’s a crucial and attractive opportunity missed after their failure to sign Manchester United’s Harry Maguire.
Angelo Ogbonna, Kurt Zouma, Thilo Kehrer and Nayef Aguerd all endured periods on the treatment table last year, and Moyes will need all the defensive reinforcements he can get with a new European adventure to come too.
An incredibly gifted centre-back possessing excellent qualities on the ball, aggressive and combative in his duel winning as well as being a very capable presence in the air, the 21-year-old possesses all the makings to become a high-level Premier League centre-back and a player the club should be fighting for.
Signing both Harwood-Bellis and Mavropanos would have represented excellent business.
In other West Ham news, a potential Chelsea hijack is on the cards in the Hammers’ pursuit of one leading European attacking midfield player.