According to the BBC, the Citizens and the Saints agreed on a loan deal for the England Under-21 international, which also includes a £20 million obligation for Southampton to buy him if they win promotion from the Championship.
As things currently stand, Taylor Harwood-Bellis is expected to return to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium next summer…
Unless Russell Martin can turn things around at St Mary’s, that £20m requirement to buy in the case of promotion is currently looking very unlikely to be triggered.
Southampton are presently 15th in the Championship after a terrible start to the season, with only three wins in their first eight games.
Harwood-Bellis has started Southampton’s previous three Championship games, all of which have ended in defeat as Martin’s side has conceded seven goals.
As a result, it is reasonable to conclude that things are not going as planned for the 21-year-old on the south coast.
The troubles of Taylor Harwood-Bellis bode good for Manchester City.
Harwood-Bellis’s difficult start to life at Southampton, in our opinion, has some advantages.
Loan moves are intended to provide young players with valuable senior football experience, and it is sometimes more advantageous for those experiences to be unpleasant, as it builds character.
With the likes of Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, Josko Gvardiol, and John Stones in the centre-back position, Harwood-Bellis needs to be near-perfect to gain an opportunity under Pep Guardiola.
As a result, it will be interesting to see if the Stockport-born defender can overcome his difficult start at Southampton and propel the Saints to the top of the Championship.
For the time being, though, Manchester City appear to be more likely to welcome their academy graduate back to the Etihad Stadium next summer, thereby forfeiting the £20 million cost.
