Southampton FC: Tonda Eckert breaks silence on Taylor Harwood-Bellis exit talk | OneFootball

The Saints captain has become the subject of recent interest from the Portuguese side

Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert has made his thoughts on transfer speculation between club captain and prized asset, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Liga Portugal giants, SL Benfica, abundantly clear.

In recent days, the 24-year-old centre-back has been the subject of reported interest from the side now managed by former Fulham boss, Marco Silva.

Saints, meanwhile, are ramping up their preparations ahead of a second successive term in the Championship, which will initially begin under the German despite continued Spygate investigations.

Southampton have already lost the services of another key operator, as Northern Ireland international Shea Charles, moved to the aforementioned Cottagers in a deal reportedly worth as much as £30m.

Harwood-Bellis was another highly-rated figure acquired from Manchester City back in 2023, and he has since gone on to prove his worth as a key player.

However, with Saints' season opener against Watford at Vicarage Road less than 72 hours away, Eckert has responded to the latest round of transfer speculation involving the Stockport-born man.

Tonda Eckert responds as Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Benfica transfer talk intensifies

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Harwood-Bellis' career has gone from strength-to-strength on the South Coast, proven by the fact he was called up to the England squad for the first time in November 2024 and marked his debut against the Republic of Ireland with a goal.

Even though Southampton started last season in dire form under Eckert's predecessor, Will Still, the defender, was again able to prove why he is viewed as a top-level Championship operator, scoring seven times and producing two further assists.

After being the subject of further Premier League interest in January, it was revealed that Saints would command a sizeable fee for his signature if an exit came to fruition this summer.

Benfica have since become the latest club heavily linked with the Southampton captain, although reports on the transfer saga in both Portugal and England have been extremely mixed.

It was initially claimed that Benfica would be willing to part with €20m (£17m) for Harwood-Bellis, before contrasting reports claimed Saints fans shouldn't be that worried by the speculation.

In his own response, Eckert said: "Every transfer window brings you these moments, it's not just Taylor. It's normal to expect interest. The boys are focused, they look ready to go."

Southampton would prefer to land a profit on Taylor Harwood-Bellis

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Saints parted with £20m to sign the Three Lions international on a permanent basis two summers ago, and given that his performance levels have only improved, both in the Premier League, Championship and in the club's famous run to the FA Cup semi-final, it would only be logical for an exit to be sanctioned if Saints earned a profit on his services.

Harwood-Bellis still has two years left to run on his current deal, meaning the second tier side still hold plenty of bargaining power in the transfer market.

However, when translating Benfica's potential offering into pounds from euros, 'O Glorioso' would still be £3m short in order for Saints to break even, and there appears to be no suggestion thus far that a negotiation would include add-ons to increase the price.

Tonda Eckert will hope to block out transfer noise ahead of Southampton's season opener

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Saints will know that this season will be tough for them given how their Spygate actions have been perceived away from St. Mary's, but Eckert will hope to block that noise out, as well as speculation over transfers heading into the weekend.

The 33-year-old made his intention firmly clear in terms of what could largely be his first-choice lineup when they defeated Colchester United 2-0 last weekend, with Harwood-Bellis partnering Jack Stephens at the heart of defence.

As such, it would be a huge blow for Saints if the goalposts did change regarding Harwood-Bellis' future in the next two-and-a-half weeks, as he remains a vital cog in the spine of the side.