As Newcastle United have been linked with signing Taylor Harwood-Bellis from Manchester City, we have assessed why they must do all they can to secure his services.
On Tuesday, it was claimed that Eddie Howe’s side were exploring a move for the 21-year-old, who is currently on loan at Burnley, with City reportedly ready to sanction a sale for him.
With the links expected to grow as the summer transfer window edges closer and closer, a transfer for Taylor Harwood-Bellis could be another smart pick-up from Newcastle United.
Why does Taylor Harwood-Bellis to Newcastle make sense?
Simply put, the Englishman is one of the most highly-rated defenders in the country and for good reason.
At Burnley this campaign, the youngster has been a key cog behind them shipping a mere 29 goals in 38 Championship games.
For starters, Taylor Harwood-Bellis is a pure defender, which would make him an instant fit at one of the most disciplined backlines in Europe in Newcastle.
While not every metric may reflect this very aspect of the Sky Blues wonderkid’s game as he plays in the most ball-dominant side in the Championship, the eye-test certainly does.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis has always been renowned for being an excellent reader of the game, whilst being a physical presence at 6’2”, and the brain as well as the brawn are two simple factors that explain why Newcastle are interested in the first place.
Making 1.95 interceptions per 90 as well as winning 2.9 aerial duels, the talent stands is in the 10 and 26 percentile of defenders in Europe’s top five leagues for these respective statistics, as per FbRef.
And on the ball, much like Sven Botman, the Burnley colossus is an absolute joy to watch.
Harwood-Bellis, being right-footed as well could perhaps even emerge as the successor to the 31-year-old Fabian Schar alongside the Dutchman, attempting 5.41 progressive passes per game and completing 84.1% of them so far.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis is an elite centre-back in the making, who combines pure defensive traits with excellent ball-playing ability at such a young age, making him a potentially incredible coup for Newcastle for the next decade.
To cap off the argument for the move, the England U-21 international’s contract expires in 2024, which could mean Eddie Howe’s side may end up signing him for a bargain fee.
The reported transfer almost makes too much sense at this point.
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