Callum O'Connell

Sat 22 July 2023 13:10, UK

West Ham look set to sign Manchester City and England U21 centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis this summer, with the deal “almost done” according to Tuttomercatoweb.

The Italian football news outlet reported on 22 July that the two clubs are working on reaching a permanent transfer after Harwood-Bellis spent last season on loan at Burnley and that white smoke is expected to be reached within the next few hours or days.

The defender who recently captained England U21s to the UEFA U21 European Championships has had interest from Burnley and Fulham this summer, but it appears West Ham have moved quickest to bring him to the London Stadium,

With a fee reported to be around £15million according to the Evening Standard [11 July], West Ham will be getting a fantastic player for what is a relatively low price.

This one would be brilliant

If West Ham can get this deal over the line, it would be a brilliant deal for the club. Bringing in a 21-year-old with the experience and leadership qualities of Harwood-Bellis is a real coup, especially as they will be beating Premier League rivals to his signature.

The Hammers have been looking to bring in new leaders to their squad after losing captain Declan Rice to Arsenal, and Harwood-Bellis certainly fits that description, having captained his country at youth level.

The defender’s stature in the game is commendable for one so young, made clear by the Premier League interest in his signature, and the 105 senior appearances to his name across three different leagues – the Premier League with Manchester City, Championship with Burnley, and Juliper Pro League with Anderlecht.

This transfer is comparable to Crystal Palace’s acquisition of Marc Guehi from Chelsea in 2021. Guehi cost the Eagles around £18million, having captained England’s U21 side, and has since gone on to captain the South London club and earn multiple England caps.

In other West Ham news, there has been an update in the chase for a 23-year-old right-back.