Southampton reject £18m Aston Villa transfer bid for Taylor Harwood-Bellis | OneFootball

Aston Villa have had am £18 million bid for Southampton captain Taylor Harwood-Bellis turned down (The Athletic).

Southampton have not ruled out selling the 24-year-old this summer, but will only do so for a much higher fee.

The Saints turned down a similar offer for the one-cap England international from Benfica, standing firm on their £30m valuation.

The former Manchester City man is one of the names on Villa’s shortlist to replace Ezri Konsa.

Konsa is set to become an Arsenal player in the coming days, with an agreement for a £51m transfer having been reached.

Manager Unai Emery wants to replace Konsa with another defender who is confident on the ball and adept at keeping out opposition attackers.

Harwood-Bellis spent his formative years in Man City’s youth set-up, and is a cultured centre-back with the ball at his feet.

His stature in the English game has grown since his arrival at Southampton in 2024.

Southampton are uncompromising in their stance, with Harwood-Bellis having already appeared for them twice this season.

The defender does not appear to be angling for a move away from St Mary’s, where he has two years left on his contract.

Villa have also been linked with Tosin Adarabioyo and Fikayo Tomori. They are desperate to sign a centre-back before the trasnfer window closes.