Tottenham, Crystal Palace and West Ham 'monitoring' Premier League defender who could become available

A cluster of London clubs are said to be interested in taking advantage of a likely relegation this summer. It has been a nightmare first season back in the Premier League for Southampton, who are stuck on the bottom of the top tier and still yet to pass the record-low points tally set by Derby County.

That record is 11 points and the Saints are just two points off, but the Rams were also on nine points at this stage of that disastrous season, and they did not secure another within the back-end of the campaign.

Relegation is looking very likely for the Saints, who also face the reality of having to offload some of their most talented players this summer, needing to balance the books if they head back to the Championship. One of those players is likely to be defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who has been one of the few bright sparks after arriving on a permanent deal from Manchester City following an impressive loan spell last term.

Harwood-Bellis joined Southampton for £20million, and City have protected themselves due to holding a sell-on fee as well as holding the right of refusal to buy back the defender. That means Southampton would have to inform City of any offers they receive, giving the current Premier League champions to option to buy him back for the same amount minus the reported 25% sell-on fee.

According to The Boot Room, Harwood-Bellis will be part of the Southampton exodus if they are relegated this summer, and a number of clubs are said to be monitoring the situation. It’s claimed Tottenham, West Ham and Crystal Palace are all interested in a deal.

Spurs need more depth at the back, as proven by injuries this season, while the Hammers are being linked with defenders aplenty, with Graham Potter seemingly wanting more quality in his back-line. As for Palace, they face the possibility of losing Marc Guehi this summer, and so they are likely doing their homework to make sure they are ready to spring into action if the England international does move on.

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