Taylor Harwood-Bellis eyed up by European giants on the eve of Southampton opener

Southampton have rejected a £17million offer from Benfica for captain Taylor Harwood-Bellis, talkSPORT understands.

New Benfica manager Marco Silva has made the one-cap England international a top target.

Getty

And while the Saints have turned down an initial bid for Harwood-Bellis, their business with Benfica might not be over just yet.

The Championship club are reportedly open to a sale of the 24-year-old if their valuation is met – which is understood to be £30m.

Harwood-Bellis is also said to be keen on the possibility of the move if a deal between the two clubs can be struck.

Benfica aren’t the only team to show an interest in the Englishman this summer, with talkSPORT previously reporting that Frank Lampard’s Coventry were weighing up a move for him in June.

The Sky Blues are gearing up for their Premier League return, while West Ham are also long-term admirers of Harwood-Bellis.

But a move to Portugal could now materialise instead, with new Benfica boss Silva looking to make his mark after he left Fulham to succeed Jose Mourinho in the dugout in June.

Harwood-Bellis’ career to date

Harwood-Bellis has established himself as a key man at St Mary’s, since joining the club in 2023 on an initial loan move from Manchester City.

He completed a £20m permanent move in the 2024 summer transfer window, following Southampton’s promotion to the Premier League.

A product of City’s academy, Harwood-Bellis previously spent time on loan spells at Burnley, Blackburn, Stoke and Anderlecht.

After making his first-team debut for the Citizens in 2019, the central defender went on to make just eight senior appearances under Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.

Getty

Getty

Harwood-Bellis made 48 appearances in all competitions for Southampton last term, 41 of which came in the Championship.

His performances helped the Saints to qualify for the play-offs with a fourth-place finish, before controversy struck.

Despite captaining his team to victory over Middlesbrough in the semi-finals, Southampton were then thrown out of the Championship play-off final as a result of the ‘Spygate’ saga.

Harwood-Bellis found himself at the centre of this, as he was later forced to apologise after mocking Boro’s players with a ‘binocular’ celebration in the wake of their semi-final win at St Mary’s.

With Southampton having to accept another year of Championship football, talkSPORT previously revealed the defender was among several players understood to be weighing up their futures.

But Benfica’s interest comes just as Tonda Eckert’s side prepare to get their season underway.

Getty

Southampton begin their Championship campaign away at Watford on Sunday – live on talkSPORT 2.

Should he secure a move to European giants Benfica, Harwood-Bellis will surely be hoping to force his way back into the England picture.

The Man City academy graduate earned his only Three Lions cap to date in November 2024, scoring in the Three Lions’ 5-0 Nations League win over the Republic of Ireland at Wembley.