West Ham now want 'incredible' Championship star with £20m asking price

West Ham have the opportunity to make some more signings before the end of the transfer window. They also have the chance to let some players head out the exit door as well if needed. The deadline is on Monday at a slightly earlier time than usual at 7pm.

The Hammers turned to Graham Potter during last season as their manager. He was picked as their replacement for ex-Wolves man Julen Lopetegui. Potter has had managerial spells in the past with the likes of Swansea City, Brighton and Hove Albion and Chelsea.

West Ham target Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis

According to The Sun on Sunday (via West Ham Zone), West Ham are keen on Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who is valued at around the £20m mark. The Saints were relegated from the Premier League in the last campaign after finishing in the bottom three. They went down along with Ipswich Town and Leicester City.

Harwood-Bellis, 23, is under contract with his current club until June 2028 meaning they are under no pressure to sell him yet and can wait for the right offer to come in for his signature. He has been playing his football in Hampshire since 2023. The Stockport-born man was initially on loan before his transfer was later made permanent.

The England international, who has played once for the Three Lions, has made 42 appearances for Southampton to date and has scored four goals. He is a product of the Manchester City academy and played eight times for his former team as a youngster. City also loaned him out to Blackburn Rovers, Anderlecht, Stoke City and Burnley to get some experience under his belt and boost his development.

Pep Guardiola praise on West Ham target Harwood-Bellis

City boss Pep Guardiola heaped praise on Harwood-Bellis during last term. He said: “I’m happy that he’s settling in the Premier League. He’s an incredible threat for Southampton from set pieces and a composer when they have the ball because the manager insists the way they have to play, they have to be close, to move differently,

“They have a different way of playing through the lines. Aaron Ramsdale was magnificent with the ball. How good they link inside and lateral balls. I showed many images to the team and warned them. I said: ‘Guys you have to feel that at the right moment you will do good things with the ball and you have to be strong and you have to continue because they are good.’”

West Ham could see Harwood-Bellis as someone to boost their backline. If he joined the Hammers, he would give them more competition and depth at the back. He is also a proven performer at the top level so it wouldn’t take him too long to settle in.

Southampton are aiming to secure an immediate return from the second tier. They turned to Will Still as their manager earlier in the summer. They have won one of their first four fixtures and drew 2-2 with Watford last time out.