Southampton backed to accept 'big' West Ham bid for Taylor Harwood-Bellis
Taylor Harwood-Bellis has emergered among the top targets for West Ham United as he could be allowed to leave Southampton this summer.
The 24-year-old has long been admired at the London Stadium, and given their major defensive concerns, the Hammers could finally make a move to sign him.
This comes in the wake of the spygate controversy, which is believed to have a number of Southampton's star players considering their long-term futures St Mary's.
Former West Ham scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that West Ham are big fans of Harwood-Bellis and now believe they could strike a deal with Southampton.
The one-cap England international is seen as an upgrade on Nuno Espirito Santo's current options as he prepares for a potential overhaul of his back line.
Could West Ham sign Taylor Harwood-Bellis this summer?
Football Insider shared reports during the January transfer window that West Ham had made an offer for Harwood-Bellis, although it was turned down by Southampton.
The Saints were extremely reluctant to lose a key player during the mid-season window as they mounted a push into the playoffs with ambitions of promotion.
However, after they missed out on promotion to the Premier League due to spygate, West Ham feel they could finally get a deal over the line.
"Harwood-Bellis is certainly on West Ham's radar," Brown told Football Insider.
"They know they need to strengthen at the back, because Disasi is going back to Chelsea, it looks like Mavropanos is going to move on, and Kilman has been a disaster.
"It's a position that has become a real concern for them over the last season, and Harwood-Bellis is somebody they've been keeping an eye on for a while.
"After everything that happened with Southampton, it wouldn't surprise me to see a couple of their best players look to move on for a shot at the Premier League.
"Obviously, West Ham will struggle if Premier League clubs are coming in, but their ambitions will be to get straight back up, and they will need to strengthen to do that.
"If they make a big offer to Southampton, that could be enough to get it over the line, because it seems like the type of deal everybody involved might be open to."
Why do West Ham want to sign Harwood-Bellis?
West Ham's interest in a new centre-back comes amid ongoing speculation surrounding their current options, with Nuno now bracing for offers for key players.
Axel Disasi will return to Chelsea following his loan spell at the London Stadium, while Konstantinos Mavropanos is seeking a move, and Max Kilman has disappointed.
As a result, Brown told Football Insider on 22 May that West Ham are facing a defensive "nightmare", with the centre-back position a particular concern.
New additions will be prioritised as a result, but concerns about the Hammers' financial situation has cast further doubts ahead of a turbulent summer window.
If they are unable to prevent a mass exodus, or fail to replace departing players, Nuno's side could be in "serious trouble" ahead of their return to the Championship.