“I Love my new home here I don’t want to go back to Manchester City and start staying at the bench like like Kelvin Phillips” – 21-year-old loanee now admits he would be happy to leave Manchester City permanently

Taylor Harwood-Bellis, a 21-year-old loanee from Manchester City currently on loan at Southampton, has opened up about his experience at the club and expressed a desire for a permanent stay, provided Southampton secures promotion back to the Premier League. In an interview with the Daily Echo, the England Under-21 international shared his enthusiasm for life away from Manchester City.

Harwood-Bellis stated, “If we get promoted, yeah, 100%. That’s the drive of the whole club, to get back to the Premier League, and that’s where I want to be. I wouldn’t have come here if that wasn’t the club’s ambition. If someone said to me, you’ll be playing for Southampton in the Premier League next year, I’d snap your hand off.

I’ve loved it here, it’s a lovely part of the world. I’ve settled in well, and that’s due to the staff, the players, and everyone at the club. I’m enjoying my time here.”

Having received praise from Ashley Cole during the summer, Harwood-Bellis has already started in eight of Southampton’s 14 Championship games this season, contributing with a goal. Currently, Southampton occupies the fourth position in the English second tier.

Importantly, regardless of Harwood-Bellis’s personal preferences, his enjoyment at Southampton carries significant implications due to the binding nature of the club’s agreement. According to the BBC, Southampton has committed to a £20 million obligation to purchase the central defender should they achieve an immediate return to the Premier League. This arrangement is not merely an option to buy. Fortunately, the young defender appears to be content with his current situation, aligning with Southampton’s aspirations for a long-term partnership should promotion become a reality.