West Ham will have to pay around £15million to sign Manchester City’s England under-21 defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis, according to BBC Sport.
The youngster has a year left on his deal and could be on the move this summer, after success with Burnley and on international duty.
The asking price has now emerged if the Hammers wish to make a concerted run a signing him during the transfer window, but they face heavy competition within the top flight.The asking price has now emerged if the Hammers wish to make a concerted run a signing him during the transfer window, but they face heavy competition within the top flight.
Reporting via Twitter on Monday evening (10 July) Daily Mail journalist Jack Gaughan wrote: “Taylor Harwood-Bellis has interest from Fulham and West Ham. Valued at around £15m by Man City with one year left on his contract.”
The BBC Sport report adds that a “number of Premier League clubs” are interested in the youngster who won the Championship on loan at Burnley last season.
The 21-year-old captained England under-21s as they lifted the European Championship trophy after victory over Spain on Saturday (8 July).
City may be looking to cash in on a young player with a year left, with his profile boosted by his leading role in the international triumph.
At the London Stadium Angelo Ogbonna is now 35 and Craig Dawson left for Wolves last season, leaving Kurt Zouma, Thilo Kehrer and Nayef Aguerd as the central options.
Both Zouma and Aguerd suffered significant injury lay-offs in the previous campaign at a position that has been hit hard by fitness issues in recent years.
Harwood-Bellis was central to Vincent Kompany’s Clarets getting promoted as second-tier champions after making 32 Championship appearances last season.
At the price quoted he wouldn’t break the bank and could feasibly be brought into the West Ham side gradually behind the current senior options, so looks like a very decent option if David Moyes wants to make a push.
But clearly it won’t be straight forward to overcome multiple Premier League clubs so with the first load of Declan Rice money expected imminently it might require an immediate bid to the Etihad.
