Southampton has secured their return to the Premier League, ending Taylor Harwood-Bellis’s hopes of a third consecutive promotion. The 22-year-old center-back has been a regular in the England youth national team and has had promotion campaigns with Burnley and Southampton during his loan spells away from Manchester City.
Harwood-Bellis played a significant role in Southampton’s possession game, averaging nearly 88 completed passes per game and 4.7 long passes per 90 minutes under coach Russell Martin. He was also among the team leaders in clearances and blocks. The promotion has triggered a clause in his loan deal, making his move to Southampton permanent as they head back to the Premier League next season. The clause is reported to be around $25 million, making Harwood-Bellis Southampton’s first purchase of the summer transfer window.
In an interview with the BBC, Harwood-Bellis expressed his excitement about becoming a permanent Southampton player and his desire to continue his career at the club. At 23, he has already won the U-21 EURO in 2023 and continues to develop as a promising young talent in English football.
