West Ham alerted after ‘behind-the-scenes Harwood-Bellis development’
West Ham United will be on the hunt for defensive reinforcements in the summer after shipping 47 Premier League goals this season.
The Hammers signed three defenders in last summer’s transfer window in the form of Jean-Clair Todibo, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Max Kilman, yet have conceded more league goals than all-but four other clubs.
Those four clubs are all directly below West Ham in the Premier League table, and though Graham Potter’s side are 13 points clear of the drop zone, improvements will still be needed come season’s end.
Wan-Bissaka has impressed for West Ham to a greater extent than Kilman and OCG Nice loanee Todibo, but Potter will be under no illusions that further centre-back depth is needed in East London.
West Ham eye Taylor-Harwood Bellis transfer
With central defenders high on the transfer agenda for West Ham this summer, the Irons have now been “alerted” to the potential of signing Southampton star Taylor-Harwood Bellis, according to talkSPORT.
The broadcaster reported in their live blog that the once-capped England defender looks highly likely to leave Southampton at the the end of the season, with Saints set for an immediate return to the Championship.
Harwood-Bellis has also recently signed a deal to be represented by Unique Sports Group, an agency whom both West Ham and London rivals Crystal Palace have a “close working relationship” with.
Harwood-Bellis can bolster West Ham backline next season
West Ham’s recruitment last summer turned plenty of heads amid a huge £120million-plus outlay, not least with the signings of Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Todibo, Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Fullkrug.
However, very few of those signings have proven to be good value at the London Stadium this term, with Fullkrug perennially injured, and Brazilian teenager Luis Guilherme barely getting a kick.
| Club | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals Conceded | Points |
| Crystal Palace | 9 | 9 | 9 | 33 | 36 |
| West Ham | 8 | 6 | 12 | 47 | 30 |
| Southampton | 2 | 3 | 22 | 65 | 9 |
The ramifications of that botched recruitment process have been widespread, creating a West Ham squad ill-equipped for the pace of the Premier League and eventually costing Tim Steidten his job.
Steidten’s first managerial hire, Julen Lopetegui, is also long-gone having managed just 22 matches before his position became untenable, and Potter will lead an all-new transfer policy this summer.
Adding Harwood-Bellis would certainly help to fix West Ham’s leaky defence, but given their lowly league position, it remains to be seen if the England defender could opt for Selhurst Park instead.