"Absolutely fantastic signing" - Ipswich Town urged to beat Southampton to Man City transfer | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Ipswich Town have been linked with a potential summer move for Manchester City’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

According to Alan Nixon, the Tractor Boys are eyeing a move for the defender in the upcoming transfer market.

Harwood-Bellis is currently on loan with promotion rivals Southampton, where he has been a key part of Russell Martin’s side this season.

The centre-back has featured 36 times in the Championship so far this campaign, and has helped the team’s push for an automatic promotion place (all stats from Fbref).

Ipswich Town fan pundit keen on Harwood-Bellis

FLW’s Ipswich fan pundit Henry would love to see Harwood-Bellis join the club for next season, but only expects a deal to happen if the club is in the Premier League.

He believes the 22-year-old could immediately assert himself as the starting right-sided centre-back in Kieran McKenna’s team.

“Ipswich have been linked with Harwood-Bellis,” Henry told FLW.

“Obviously it’s dependent on probably one, Ipswich going up, and two, Southampton not going up.

“But I think this would be an absolutely fantastic signing, very shrewd, very in the mould of what we’re trying to do, young, early 20s.

“Very good academy football, Man City player, has got a decent amount of experience now.

“Two loans in the Championship, two very good sides in the Championship, previously.

“He’s able to play with both feet, decent in the air, and looks like a good character as well.

“I think if everything lines up, I’d absolutely love to see Harwood-Bellis at Town.

“He is definitely an upgrade on what we currently have.

“He probably slots in at right-sided centre-back, that’s where there’s a lot of rotation, [with] Woolfenden, Edmundson, Tuanzebe.

“Cause then the left-footed player really needs to stick on that left-handed side.

“I think it would be a fantastic signing.

“£15 million obviously, with the budget we’re currently working with, it doesn’t really fit.

“But if, and only if, we get to the praised land of the Premier League I could see it, that would be a very good signing, I would be very happy with that.”

Harwood-Bellis' upcoming transfer decision

Harwood-Bellis has earned a lot of praise for his performances in the Championship across the last two seasons.

But he is set to return to the Premier League with Man City this summer, where a decision will need to be made over his future.

Given the defensive talent at the Etihad, a permanent sale could be on the cards this year if Harwood-Bellis is keen for consistent game time.

Any decision over his future is likely to depend on the outcome of the promotion battle involving both Southampton and Ipswich.

Harwood-Bellis would be a fantastic addition for Ipswich

It was surprising last summer when Harwood-Bellis returned to the Championship, as a move up to the Premier League seemed right.

He will surely want to avoid taking that step down yet again next year, so will have his eyes set on a top flight move.

So Ipswich will absolutely have to earn promotion in the next few weeks to have any chance of signing the talented, young defender.

But if they can get that deal over the line then that would be a great addition to McKenna’s side, as he would be an ideal fit for their style of play, and he has so much potential to become a very valuable asset in the long-run.