Ipswich set to hijack £15 million summer transfer of Manchester City centre-back

Ipswich set to hijack £15 million summer transfer of Manchester City centre-back

In-loan Two current Championship clubs are expected to engage in a summer bidding war for Manchester City

defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

Due to a contract with Manchester City, the 22-year-old has spent the current campaign on a season-long loan at4

Southampton. Should the Saints win promotion back to the top division, he would make a permanent move to St Mary’s this summer.

The England Under-21 international helped Vincent Kompany’s team win promotion to the Premier League last

season and has enjoyed loan stints at Burnley, Blackburn, Stoke City, and RSC Anderlecht.

With Southampton one of four teams vying for the two automatic Premier League promotion spots—a close contest

between Ipswich, Leicester City, Leeds United, and the Saints—Harwood-Bellis is attempting to win promotion twice

in a row.

This season, the center back has played in 35 Championship games for Southampton and has contributed directly to

five of the team’s goals.

In addition, Harwood-Bellis played in three Emirates FA Cup matches, which included the Anfield loss to Liverpool

in the fifth round.

In the event that Southampton does not win promotion, Harwood-Bellis may still play in the top division the

following season because Ipswich, another team vying for promotion, is willing to match Southampton’s £15 million

offer for the Englishman.

According to Alan Nixon on Patreon, if Kieran McKenna‘s team defeats Southampton to earn top-flight promotion

this season, Ipswich will be “ready to pounce” to recruit the 22-year-old.

Although Ipswich is “keen” to recruit the center defender should they make it to the Premier League, if Southampton

also wins promotion, they won’t be allowed to finalize the deal because Manchester City already has a £15 million

mandatory purchase agreement in place.

The Stockport-born defender, who made his debut against Preston North End in 2019, is another product of the City Football Academy. Harwood-Bellis has eight first-team matches under his belt for Manchester City.

Although he has been in the UEFA Champions League, the defender has never represented Pep Guardiola’s team in the Premier League.

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