Club plotting move to sign Southampton star that West Ham wanted - £15m+ needed | OneFootball

The defender may still depart in the summer window

The January transfer window may have closed on Monday, but the market for Taylor Harwood-Bellis remains very much open.

Southampton’s defensive cornerstone has emerged as a prominent summer target for clubs across England and Europe following extensive interest in the winter window.

Alan Nixon, writing on his Patreon, has reported that interest from Serie A side Fiorentina and Premier League strugglers West Ham will persist into the summer.

With Saints languishing in mid-table in the Championship and momentum stalling in their promotion push, Harwood-Bellis’s long-term future is increasingly being framed by what happens between now and May.

Fiorentina and West Ham approaches for Taylor Harwood-Bellis rebuffed as Southampton dig in

Southampton rejected a late approach from Fiorentina before the January deadline and also stalled a bid from West Ham, according to reports from Alan Nixon.

Both clubs explored deals for the 24-year-old centre-back, but Saints were unwilling to sanction a departure mid-season unless their valuation was met.

West Ham’s interest took the form of a loan offer, which was swiftly turned down, with the club instead completing a deadline-day loan move for Chelsea defender Axel Disasi.

Fiorentina, meanwhile, made a direct approach before the window closed, which was also rebuffed.

Saints currently sit 12th in the Championship following relegation from the Premier League last season.

The England international, who won his first senior cap in November 2024 and scored on his debut, is expected to reassess his future at the end of the season.

Nixon suggests he will push for a move away if Southampton fail to mount a promotion challenge, with any potential exit hinging on offers exceeding £15 million.

His valuation has previously stalled transfers: a proposed move to Porto collapsed last summer due to Southampton’s asking price, and the club remain firm on their financial stance.

Harwood-Bellis joined Saints permanently in 2024 after helping them secure promotion via the Championship play-offs, triggering a £20m obligation-to-buy clause in his loan deal from Manchester City.

Southampton’s promotion failure could accelerate summer exit for key players

Harwood-Bellis’s situation reflects the wider tension at Southampton, where financial realities, squad quality and strategic direction are colliding.

A player with Premier League and international experience operating in a mid-table Championship side represents both a sporting asset and a valuable commodity.

Having tasted top-flight football and broken into the England senior setup, a prolonged stay in the second tier is unlikely to align with the centre back’s ambitions.

Interest from clubs in England and Italy points to a market that will only intensify if Southampton’s promotion hopes fade further.

From Southampton’s perspective, retaining him through the season is both a footballing necessity and a commercial calculation.

His value is unlikely to diminish, and a competitive bidding process in the summer could place Saints in a strong negotiating position.

The door is shut on January exits, but the summer window looms as a decisive moment. If promotion remains out of reach, Taylor Harwood-Bellis’s departure will feel less like a possibility and more like an inevitability.