Southampton, Leeds United and Leicester in transfer race for Man City man | OneFootball

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Southampton have joined fellow Championship sides Leeds United and Leicester City in the race for Manchester City defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis, as reported by The Telegraph’s John Percy.

Since coming back down to the Championship, Southampton have been extremely busy in the transfer market.

The club has made four summer signings, with Ryan Manning, Shea Charles, Joe Lumley, and Mateusz Lis all coming through the door.

But the club have lost many high-profile players in the last few months, with James Ward-Prowse and Tino Livramento being the most noticeable, while Romeo Lavia is on the verge of joining Chelsea.

Despite a decent start to the new season, where they were involved in a 4-4 draw over the weekend against Norwich City, it seems Southampton are still keen to further strengthen their side.

The Saints have now reportedly joined the race for Taylor Harwood-Bellis, but face stiff competition.

The 21-year-old has risen through the ranks at Manchester City, playing for the club’s under-18s, under-23s, and first team.

The defender has only made eight first-team appearances for the Premier League champions, with most of his time at the club spent on loan elsewhere.

Harwood-Bellis had loan spells at Blackburn Rovers, RSC Anderlecht, and Stoke City before joining Burnley last season.

The spells at Blackburn, Anderlecht, and Stoke were considered to be not a successful spell for the player, but his time at Turf Moor enabled him to prove what he is capable of.

The defender played 35 times for the Clarets, as he was an integral part of Vincent Kompany’s side that not only won promotion but sailed the Championship and claimed the title.

After his success last season, Harwood-Bellis has returned to his parent club, where he is contracted until next summer.

His future at Man City seems up in the air, but he could be set for another loan spell in the Championship this season.

According to John Percy, Southampton have joined their two fellow Championship sides in trying to sign Harwood-Bellis on loan for the season.

Percy also adds that Man City could be open to selling the 21-year-old this summer for the right price before the window slams shut on the 1st of September.

It was reported at the end of July, that Leeds had joined the race for the defender, as Daniel Farke looks to tighten up his defence.

But all three Championship clubs could face a bigger threat, as it emerged that Newcastle United could also hold an interest as a report from Football Insider claimed in May.

You can definitely understand why Southampton are looking into a possible deal, as the defender performed really well on this stage last season.

Despite only being 21, he would bring a bit of experience at this level and a sense of composure to Southampton’s back line.

He is comfortable on the ball, as shown at Burnley, which again makes him a perfect fit to be a Russell Martin player.