In a surprise to no one, Manchester City have another wonderkid on their hands. Taylor Harwood-Bellis, 21, joined the club in 2008 when he was just six years of age, and played in the same junior league as Phil Foden.
Unlike some players of his age who have come through the academy, he has made senior starts for the club as recently as 2021, even scoring a goal in the FA Cup three years ago.
Harwood-Bellis’ profile has been raised in the public eye during the U21 European Championships campaign this month, culminating in England’s 1-0 victory over Spain in the Final on Saturday, but Burnley fans will already be well aware of what he can bring to a top side.
He played in 32 of their league games last season, sharing centre-back duty with Connor Roberts and Ian Maatsen throughout the season.
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But now comes the conundrum for Harwood-Bellis and City. The youngster would be one of six centre-backs at the Etihad next season, and as the least experienced and youngest, he would need to go elsewhere to get regular game time. He also has just one year remaining on his contract.
Luckily for Harwood-Bellis, and perhaps City, Fulham and West Ham are among those clubs reportedly looking for his signature. Of the two, Fulham are in more desperate need of a defender, as they only have three centre-backs at the club, one of which is 35-year-old Tim Ream.
As a result, this would be guaranteed Premier League game-time which is so hard to come by at Manchester City. The change of scenery is unlikely to affect Harwood-Bellis either, he moved on loan to Anderlecht as a teenager to play under Vincent Kompany, and made 19 appearances there in half a season, so neither Fulham nor West Ham can have doubts about his ability to settle into a new home.
The question will come down to a couple of things. Whether Harwood-Bellis wants to sign a new contract with City and wait for his chance off the bench, or whether City want to cash in on their academy once again before his contract runs out.
City are said to have set a £15m price tag, which would seem like a risk for any other player who has never played above the Championship in England, but not Harwood-Bellis. Over the U21 Euros tournament, he struck up a great partnership with Levi Colwill, who has arguably received more praise in the media than the City player.
Both are already on the radar for a senior call-up in an area that has traditionally been a weakness for the English national side. And it seems likely he would strike up a partnership with another defender at a Premier League club this season, as he seems able to settle in smoothly to other clubs after his loan spells.
While it’s unlikely he will be captaining a side this season, he has shown this summer that this role may be one he takes up in the future, and his leadership qualities may already shine through in his opening season. For now, the speculation will continue on whether City stick or twist with their latest academy superstar.
