Aston Villa make second Harwood-Bellis bid as Southampton set final price and star makes decision

Aston Villa have made a second offer for England defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis, but Southampton’s £30million valuation has still not been met, though the player’s verdict on a potential move does give them hope, TEAMtalk understands.

Villa opened talks over Harwood-Bellis last week, and sources understand that personal terms are not expected to be an issue. The main stumbling block remains whether the two clubs can reach agreement on the transfer fee, with the two clubs still some way apart.

Villa’s opening proposal of £18million was rejected, while their latest offer is worth more than £20million including add-ons.

However, that is still short of Southampton‘s valuation, although talks are moving in the right direction and sources believe the two clubs are getting closer to a figure Saints would accept.

Sources can also confirm that Harwood-Bellis has made it clear he is keen to make the move to Villa Park, and TEAMtalk understands that was a factor in him being left out of Southampton’s clash with Stoke City over the weekend, a game they won 3-1.

The 24-year-old is regarded as Villa’s preferred option to strengthen their central defensive ranks, although the club continue to assess alternatives as they look to reinforce after the departure of Ezri Konsa to Arsenal…

Villa also in the mix to sign Club Brugge powerhouse

Villa have also made enquiries about Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez, another highly-rated young centre-back who has long been admired by Chelsea.

TEAMtalk understands Ordonez is also attracted by the prospect of working under Unai Emery, but the financial side of any move presents another obstacle.

Club Brugge are understood to want a fee in a similar region to Southampton’s £30million valuation of Harwood-Bellis, while Villa are reluctant to meet that level for either player.

For now, Harwood-Bellis remains the preferred target and Villa are continuing to push towards an agreement despite seeing their second offer rejected.