West Ham could raid Southampton again after relegation with Taylor Harwood-Bellis in view | OneFootball

With the Championship line-up now settled, Southampton will begin next season with a points deduction and face relegated West Ham United among their opponents. According to Sainstmarching.com, the Hammers could again test the waters for Saints talent as the club adjusts post-Spygate.

Southampton landed Flynn Downes from West Ham in 2023, while several Saints have previously left for the London Stadium when times were hard.

Downes helped offset the loss of Mateus Fernandes to the Irons last summer after Southampton finished bottom of the Premier League. With another relegation on his CV, Fernandes looks very unlikely to face his former side in the second tier, with Manchester United allegedly circling.

Kyle Walker-Peters could stay put to face his former club, the attack-minded full-back having previously won promotion with Southampton before moving to West Ham on a free last summer.

Attention on the South Coast will also fall on Taylor Harwood-Bellis, whose season ended in controversy. He clashed with Luke Ayling in the second-leg win over Middlesbrough, then goaded Boro players with imaginary binoculars while celebrating Shea Charles’ winner.

Even so, West Ham would have seen enough to want to move for the commanding centre-back, having held long-term interest since his Manchester City youth days. The 24-year-old scored seven league goals, kept 12 clean sheets and averaged 86% pass accuracy, using his six-foot-two frame to effect.

There is a queue of suitors, including Premier League interest from David Moyes’ Everton. He would cost around £20m, and signing the number six would show intent, while Southampton may have little scope to be choosy. If he arrived, Harwood-Bellis could chase another promotion with the East Londoners after one was denied this season.

Source: Sainstmarching.com