Leeds United have already bolstered their backline considerably this summer, yet there remains one more addition they could make to truly forge a formidable defence once again…
Is Taylor Harwood-Bellis leaving Manchester City?
Ethan Ampadu and Karl Darlow marked fine additions to kickstart Daniel Farke's reign, but he will still be far from comfortable going into the new Championship campaign, which gets underway this Sunday.
He will want to build for the future, whilst also ensuring that their Premier League absence is considerably shorter than their last.
In an effort to achieve both of these feats in one fell swoop, the reports linking them with a move for Taylor Harwood-Bellis should have fans thrilled, especially after the exceptional past year the young defender has enjoyed, which has led to such widespread interest.
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With Manchester City set to command just £15m for his services, such a deal would represent a no-brainer for the promotion-chasing Whites seeking to put themselves in the strongest position to succeed this season.
How good is Taylor Harwood-Bellis?
To once again raid the Etihad for talent would be to repeat a thorough success of the past, given Jack Harrison was a famous export from the Sky Blues who has gone on to shine at Elland Road.
Despite only joining permanently in 2021, the 26-year-old has featured 206 times for the club due to his near-three-year loan spell, as a mainstay under every boss that has passed through in recent terms.
Although his form might have waned for periods, he has remained one of the few consistent quality assets at the Yorkshire outfit, with his figures seldom letting the side down.
Just last season saw him post 12 goal contributions in the league as they fell to the drop, building on the eight goals and one assist he recorded the year prior. To emphasise his longevity at the club, he even notched 14 goal contributions during their last promotion.
There is no doubting his quality, which Marcelo Bielsa sought to showcase in 2021:
"He’s a player who, when he manages to play at his best version, he has a big influence on our offensive game".
To think, the English trickster was signed for just £11m, marking yet another coup that they could be set to emulate with Harwood-Bellis.
The 21-year-old centre-back has most recently enjoyed a standout year on loan at Burnley, featuring 32 times in the league as they walked to the Championship title.
His 7.21 average rating was the second-best among Vincent Kompany's players, and was buoyed by his 85% pass accuracy, 1.8 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and 3.1 clearances per game, via Sofascore.
Then, after adding one piece of silverware to his cabinet, he then captained the England U21 side to the European Championship, winning the tournament without conceding a single goal.
He truly is a formidable leader, with the figures to suggest he could even surpass Harrison's legacy should he grow into the player his potential suggests he might.
Tony Mowbray, who enjoyed his services whilst at Blackburn Rovers, helped to outline the bright future in question further:
"Taylor has a defensive instinct, a warrior attitude and he’s someone who wants to win headers and tackles. He wants to engage, he’s composed on the ball and has a lot of really good attributes."
If Harwood-Bellis can realise even half the potential that he is gathering with his ever-improving performances, then he would not just emulate but demolish the success enjoyed with their signing of Harrison from City.