Two Burnley possibilities emerge as Taylor Harwood-Bellis' Southampton exit saga takes new twist | OneFootball

Taylor Harwood-Bellis has caught the eye of Premier League clubs this transfer window

Premier League strugglers Burnley are reportedly weighing up a transfer reunion with Southampton FC centre-back, Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

That is according to FourFourTwo, with the Saints currently struggling to mount a sustained promotion bid in the Championship under the newly-appointed Tonda Eckert.

Eckert had come under-fire for the South Coast side's previously dismal run of results in the second tier, although they were able to record a first success since December 10th in midweek when Leo Scienza's effort saw off Sheffield United.

The timely accumulation of those three points has seen Saints move up to 15th in the Championship, having taken 36 points from their first 28 games of the season - seven points outside the play-offs.

Although a plethora of high-profile names and big earners departed off the back of their dismal solitary campaign back in the Premier League last time out, Harwood-Bellis was amongst those who stayed at St Mary's in a bid to immediately right those wrongs, initially under Eckert's predecessor, Will Still, who was sacked on November 2nd after a run of just two victories in 13 outings.

So far, there has been confirmation of three further departures from Eckert's squad this window, with Gavin Bazunu - who has since suffered an injury - joining Stoke City on loan for the remainder of the season, whilst Ryan Fraser's switch to Western Sydney Wanderers also followed Ronnie Edwards' eventual permanent switch to Queens Park Rangers after an intense period of speculation.

It has also been claimed that Saints could lose their talisman, Adam Armstrong, as the striker weighs up a potential new challenge in his career, whilst a further blow could come the club's way if they were to lose the services of the one-time England international defender in the latter days of the current winter transfer window.

Burnley plot transfer reunion with Southampton FC's Taylor Harwood-Bellis amid Premier League competition

The former Manchester City academy graduate has been a member of Saints' squad for two-and-a-half years now, initially joining on loan from the North West club during their promotion-winning campaign of 2023/24 under Russell Martin.

Following the South Coast side's victory over Leeds United in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium in May 2024, a clause within the loan agreement was triggered which saw Harwood-Bellis complete a £20m switch from the Etihad Stadium on a four-year contract until the summer of 2028.

Despite the club's dismal season under Martin, who was sacked months later, Ivan Juric and the interim management of Simon Rusk in the final weeks of the campaign, a minor beacon of light for the club was when the 23-year-old earned his first senior call-up to the England national team in November 2024.

It was certainly a period that Harwood-Bellis will never forget, marking his Three Lions debut with a smart header in a 5-0 thrashing of the Republic of Ireland.

Although Saints have been rather inconsistent as a collective so far this term, Harwood-Bellis has remained one of their strongest performers, scoring four times in 23 Championship outings.

As such, Football League World exclusively revealed earlier this week that the centre-back had become the subject of interest from a handful of Premier League sides, who had also made their admiration of the defender particularly clear.

It has since been reported by FourFourTwo that one of those sides are Burnley, where the Stockport native had also won promotion under Vincent Kompany in the 2022/23 season whilst on loan at Turf Moor from Man City.

A report claims that the Clarets hold a genuine interest in Harwood-Bellis and could strike a deal either during the current window or the summer, with the player and his entourage also said to be willing to see such a move come to fruition.

Given his current ability and potential, Saints look set to face a huge battle to retain the services of Harwood-Bellis, who continues to impress despite the club's downward-looking trajectory.

Of course, he would be in familiar surroundings in East Lancashire, albeit Scott Parker is the man currently in charge after taking over from his previous Turf Moor boss in the form of Kompany.

However, the strong interest from several clubs, as well as the fact Harwood-Bellis still has over two years left on his contract means that Saints could certainly make a profit on the £20m they parted with in 2024.

It could frustrate several Southampton supporters if he was to sign for Burnley at present though, with Parker's side currently eight points adrift of safety in the Premier League with 16 games remaining.