West Ham are considering a summer bid for Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis, according to reports.

The Sun claims that the Hammers are targeting the 23-year-old as they look to strengthen their backline ahead of next season.

Harwood-Bellis joined the Saints on a permanent basis from Manchester City for £20m at the start of this season, having initially made the switch to St Mary’s on loan.

However, the centre-back is keen on staying in the Premier League and, with his current team poised to drop back down to the Championship, he is open to moving clubs.

What do fans need to know about Harwood-Bellis?

The centre-half came through City’s academy, going on to make his senior debut against Preston North End in the Carabao Cup during the 2019/20 season.

However, Harwood-Bellis has spent most of the last five years out on loan, having had spells at Blackburn, Anderlecht, Stoke and Burnley prior to his transfer to Southampton back in July.

The defender has also recently received his first cap for England, coming on as a substitute and scoring during a 5-0 win over the Republic of Ireland a few months ago.

West Ham need to strengthen their defensive options

The Irons came into the season with just three senior centre-backs: Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo and Konstantinos Mavropanos.

Up until, they have been lucky with injuries, with only Todibo having been sidelined for any length of time but head coach Harry Potter will be keen to add numbers in this area when the transfer window reopens this summer.

For that reason, an approach for Harwood-Bellis does make sense. The club have been linked with the player before and he could be available for a reasonable fee as and when Southampton’s relegation is confirmed.

Find out who is in West Ham’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here