Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis is expected to remain at St Mary’s during the January transfer window despite Premier League interest, according to Football League World.
Saints would have been hoping to have been firmly involved in the Championship promotion race following relegation from the top flight last term, but it has been a largely disappointing campaign for the south coast outfit.
They ended a run of seven league matches without a win by beating Sheffield United 1-0 at St Mary’s on Wednesday night, but it was a result that only lifted them up to 15th in the standings.
Tonda Eckert’s side need a strong run in the remainder of the campaign to force themselves into the playoff positions, and they will be determined to keep their best players in the building if they are to achieve that.
Premier League Clubs Register Interest in Harwood-Bellis
According to Football League World, despite Southampton’s struggles this season, the one-cap England international has been continually watched by Premier League clubs this term.
Those clubs are said to have made their interest in the 23-year-old known, but currently the expectation is that he will remain on the south coast until the summer, although should they fail to win promotion in May then they will face losing him.
Harwood-Bellis joined Southampton on loan with an obligation to buy for £20m in the summer of 2023, before the centre-back helped Saints return to the top flight at the first time of asking as they beat Leeds United in the playoff final at Wembley, triggering the clause.
The defender struggled as Southampton recorded just 12 points in the Premier League, and things haven’t got much better for Saints defensively this season with 40 goals conceded in 28 matches.
Harwood-Bellis has started 23 of the club’s 28 Championship matches in 2025-26, with Wednesday night’s clean sheet a big boost ahead of the south coast derby against Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Sunday.
Adam Armstrong Considering Southampton Exit
Meanwhile, one player who is considering leaving Southampton before the February 2 deadline is striker Adam Armstrong.
According to journalist Rudy Galetti, posting on X, the Championship’s top goalscorer is deciding whether it’s time to seek a new challenge away from St Mary’s.
The 28-year-old is open to a possible move away and after spending his career in England, he is assessing the next step in his careeer.
The striker joined Southampton in a deal worth £15m from Blackburn Rovers in 2021, and he has shone in the club’s two Championship seasons during that time.
However, Armstrong has always struggled to make the step up to the Premier League and find the net consistently.
He has also been benched for two of Southampton’s last three fixtures, with his last goals coming in the 3-2 win against West Bromwich Albion on December 9.
Armstrong will be hoping to be back in the XI for the derby against Portsmouth on Sunday lunchtime.
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