Aston Villa's £18 Million Offer for Harwood-Bellis Rejected by Southampton
Aston Villa have seen an £18 million offer for Taylor Harwood-Bellis knocked back by Southampton, with the Championship club standing firm as Premier League money circles their captain.
Unai Emery wants a new defender in quickly. Ezri Konsa is closing in on a move to Arsenal worth £51m plus add-ons, and Villa have identified Harwood-Bellis as one of three names on their shortlist. The first move has been made. The answer was a firm no.
Southampton are in a strong position and acting like it. Benfica have already had a £17m bid rejected, and the message from St Mary’s is clear: if you want their defender, you pay properly.
Arsenal push for Konsa as Villa plan rebuild
At the other end of the deal, Arsenal are edging towards an agreement with Villa for Konsa, 28, as Mikel Arteta scrambles to reinforce a back line hit by injuries to William Saliba and Jurrien Timber.
Konsa’s versatility is the big attraction. He can play at centre-back and at right-back, giving Arteta cover across the defence. Talks are described as “advancing”, with discussions even taking place at ownership level to close the gap in valuations.
Arsenal have been prepared to go to around £40m. Villa value Konsa closer to £60m. The distance is shrinking, and personal terms are not expected to be a problem. Once that falls into place, Villa will need a replacement – which is where Harwood-Bellis comes back into focus.
Ian Wright fumes over Myles Lewis-Skelly saga
Away from the transfer fees and negotiations, Ian Wright has taken aim at his former club over the handling of Myles Lewis-Skelly.
The teenager has been linked with a move to Manchester United this summer despite making it clear he wants to stay at Arsenal. Wright is furious it has been allowed to become a saga at all.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, he said: “I don’t know where that’s coming from because I know for a fact that’s not coming from his team.
“It’s not coming from his mum. Arsenal fans need to chill out with his mum saying that she’s touting him about. Myles has already said he’s happy to say. Why have Arsenal not just said he’s not for sale?
“He’d be a great signing for Manchester United, of course he would. Look what he’s doing.”
For Wright, the issue is simple: Arsenal should have shut the door publicly and early. They haven’t, and the noise has grown.
New season, new rules: time, delays and VAR tweaks
While clubs haggle over millions, players and coaches must also get to grips with fresh tweaks to the laws.
Injuries will bite harder into game time. If play is stopped for an injury, the player must now leave the pitch for at least one minute, up from the previous 30 seconds. It’s a clear push to stop time-wasting disguised as treatment.
Second yellow cards will now sit under the VAR microscope, but only in a narrow band of cases. Reviews are allowed when a player receives a clearly wrong second yellow card – not when a referee simply misses another potential booking.
Set-piece gamesmanship faces a clampdown too. A five-second countdown will be used on delayed throw-ins and goal-kicks. Go past the limit and the restart flips: a throw-in goes to the opposition, a delayed goal-kick can hand the attacking side a corner.
Substitutions are being tightened up as well. Players have 10 seconds to leave the pitch once their number goes up. Take too long and the incoming substitute must wait until the next stoppage, after at least one minute has passed. The aim is obvious: cut the slow walk off the pitch when a team is protecting a lead.
Some of the innovations seen at the World Cup will not cross over. Matches will not be split into quarters for hydration breaks; drinks pauses will only be allowed if the temperature at kick-off exceeds 30 degrees Celsius.
VAR’s remit will not expand to overturn incorrectly awarded corners, despite the obvious frustration when replays show officials have erred. A wrongly given corner will remain just that.
There is also clarity on mistaken identity and simulation. The Switzerland–Argentina incident involving Breel Embolo was a misinterpretation of IFAB rules. VAR can only correct which player is booked, not the decision to give a yellow card for diving itself.
As for talk of red cards for players covering their mouths, the core remains the same: a three-step discrimination protocol inside stadiums when abuse is reported by players.
Gyokeres focused on Arsenal, not Barcelona
Viktor Gyokeres has shut down talk of a move away by stressing his focus is locked on Arsenal.
Linked with Barcelona, the Swede made it clear he is not thinking about an exit. Speaking to talkSPORT, he said: “I’m looking forward a lot, it’s going to be nice to start a league campaign again and to start against my old club.
“It’s a great way to start at home so I’m looking forward to it. I haven’t played against them so of course it’s going to be nice to see a few of them that are still there and meet the fans as well.”
For now, the noise around his future stays exactly that – noise.
Keane unconvinced by United’s title credentials
Roy Keane has looked at Manchester United’s midfield rebuild and still sees a team short of what is needed to win the Premier League, even with Carlos Baleba on his way in.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Keane said: “If you’re on about winning the league, I think it’s (United’s midfield) short. United’s big problems are still going to be defensively.
“That midfield and going forward, there is a big goal threat at United, they were very good last year with it, especially when Carrick took over they were a real goal threat.
“But the issue is at the back, the full-backs and the two centre-halves are still a big issue. But on paper, they [the midfield] jump out as really good players. But is there a league-winning midfield there? Probably not. No, I don’t see it.”
The goals may be there. The trust, in Keane’s eyes, is not.
Curtis Jones closes in on Inter switch
In Italy, Inter Milan are moving to take advantage of Curtis Jones’ contract situation at Liverpool.
The midfielder is reportedly due to land in Italy for a medical ahead of a permanent move, with Gianluca Di Marzio reporting that Jones has agreed a five-year deal with the Serie A champions.
Inter have tabled an offer in the region of £30m for the homegrown Liverpool product. With Jones entering the final year of his contract and no extension in sight, the path to San Siro looks increasingly clear.
Barcelona forced to pivot after Alvarez blow
Barcelona’s search for attacking reinforcements has hit a wall in their pursuit of Julian Alvarez, with Atletico’s firm stance pushing sporting director Deco towards alternative targets.
Speaking about the club’s attempts to replace Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, Deco said: “We’ve lost two players in attack, Lewy and Ferran. I think we have solutions to cover Ferran with the signings we have made. Replacing Robert is much more difficult. It’s really tough to replace a player like him.
“We have some internal solutions, but we have to look [what’s available]. There is a lot of noise. I think there will be more movement, we are still working hard.”
Barcelona know they cannot clone Lewandowski. The question now is whether they can find enough goals without him.
And as that search continues, the Premier League’s dominoes are lined up: Konsa edging towards Arsenal, Villa pushing for Harwood-Bellis, and a market waiting for the next big move to trigger another chain reaction.
