Aston Villa have had an offer worth £18million ($24.5m) plus add-ons rejected for Southampton centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
Villa are looking for a central defender, with Ezri Konsa expected to complete a move to Arsenal, worth £51m plus add-ons. Konsa, 28, underwent a medical on Thursday morning.
Villa are currently monitoring three options in central defence to replace Konsa, with Harwood-Bellis among them. They had made a bid for the England international, which, like Benfica’s opening offer of €20million (£17m; $23.1m) for the 24-year-old last weekend, was rejected.
Harwood-Bellis made his England debut in November 2024 against the Republic of Ireland, scoring in what remains his only international appearance to date.
The defender signed for Southampton in 2024, after the south coast club triggered the obligation to sign him from Manchester City following promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs.
A product of City’s academy, Harwood-Bellis previously had loan spells at Burnley, Blackburn Rovers, Stoke City and Anderlecht, and made eight first-team appearances in what was then Pep Guardiola’s side.
He made 48 appearances in all competitions last term, including featuring in 41 of the club’s 46 Championship games and both legs of the play-off semi-finals.
Harwood-Bellis has already made two appearances for Southampton this season, playing the entirety of both the 2-0 League Cup victory over Colchester United on August 8 and the 2-1 defeat to Watford in his side’s Championship opener on August 16.
Southampton are next in action against Stoke City on August 22 while Villa begin their 2026/27 Premier League campaign with a trip to the Amex to face Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
