Harwood-Bellis completes move to Aston Villa
Taylor Harwood-Bellis has followed Ibrahim Mbaye through the doors at Aston Villa on deadline day after his move from Southampton was confirmed.
Harwood-Bellis has joined Unai Emery's side in a deal reportedly worth 拢30m, with Villa paying a guaranteed 拢25m transfer fee plus 拢5m in add-ons.
The 24 year-old comes in to fill the gap left by Ezri Konsa, who completed his 拢55m switch to Premier League champion Arsenal earlier in the transfer window.
During his time at Southampton, who he initially joined on loan in 2023, Harwood-Bellis made 134 appearances across all competitions for the Saints.
No player made more clearances, won more duels and won more aerial duels than Harwood-Bellis in that time for Southampton.
He arrives with previous Premier League experience, having played for the Saints in the division in 2024-2025, a season which ended in Southampton being relegated.
Harwood-Bellis made up a defence that conceded 86 goals in that campaign, which was more than any other side in the Premier League that season.
Southampton reached the play-off final last season with Harwood-Bellis as captain, only for the team to be expelled from competing in the showpiece match after being found guilty of spying on their semi-final opponents, Middlesbrough.
Harwood-Bellis is the 11th new signing for Villa this season, joining Zion Suzuki, Matteo Ruggeri, Modou Keba Cisse and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in bolstering Villa's defence.
Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson, Mbaye, Joao Gomes and Leon Goretzka have also joined the Villans permanently, while Alejandro Garnacho has arrived on loan.
Harwood-Bellis will be hoping to improve a Villa defence that has conceded five goals in its opening two Premier League matches after its 1-0 defeat to Arsenal.
Villa has also lost its first two Premier League matches of the season for the first time since 2019-20.
It is the first team to finish in the top-four of the top-flight and then lose its first two games of the next season since both Arsenal and Manchester United in 1992-1993.
