After defeating Leeds United 1-0 in the play-off final, Southampton immediately returned to the Premier League, and Russell Martin has already begun making plans for the elite division.
While this hasn’t always been the case during the season, the Saints’ defense was at its peak in the play-off final. They gave up just one goal on the big stage throughout the play-offs, so Martin and his defenders deserve all the credit. After leading Burnley to the Championship title the previous season, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, a center-back, has been an asset to Southampton this season. This is his second successive promotion.
More importantly, though, was his promotion with the Saints since it meant that the Manchester City loanee would permanently transfer to St Mary’s the following season. The loan contract included a £20 million buyout clause that would have been activated should Southampton win promotion.
It’s significant that Taylor Harwood-Bellis is joining Southampton permanently.
The 22-year-old has proven during his recent loan stints with Burnley and Southampton that he is a highly promising player, but it didn’t seem probable that he would break into the Etihad Stadium first team very soon given Manchester City’s plenty of depth and talent.
Given Harwood-Bellis’s potential, you would have assumed that many teams would have been interested in signing him this summer if he hadn’t had an obligation to sign with Southampton or if the team hadn’t lost out on promotion.
After arriving in the summer, the England U21 international quickly established himself in Russell Martin’s starting lineup. Despite a rough beginning that saw the team lose its first three games, he quickly proved why he was so highly regarded at Man City. Harwood-Bellis played for the Saints for 46 games in all, recording two goals and four assists while fast winning over fans. He has never played in the Premier League for City, but there’s no denying that he’s a talented player.
and after earning promotion, Saints’ decision to sign him permanently was the icing on the cake. The £20 million buyout clause that Saints inserted into Harwood-Bellis’ loan agreement was a brilliant move that demonstrated their confidence in gaining promotion and, should they succeed, their belief that the player was talented enough to play in the premier league. In the summer, Southampton and Martin can relax knowing that Harwood-Bellis is their player, and that one less task needs to be completed.
