Leicester City: “Incredible” £15m titan can be Evans’ heir
Another exciting signing could be on the cards for Leicester…
Leicester City’s start to Championship life has begun in perfect fashion.
The 2016 Premier League champions have won their first three games in their new surroundings and look on course to make a swift return to top-flight football.
In what has been an exciting window for the club – which has overseen the notable arrivals of Harry Winks, Conor Coady, Stephy Mavididi, Cesare Casadei, and Callum Doyle – it is still on the hunt for more additions to further cement the bid for promotion.
After already signing Doyle on loan from Manchester City, Foxes boss Enzo Maresca could be about to repeat this trick but with a different player…
What’s the latest Leicester City transfer news?
According to the Daily Telegraph, Taylor Harwood-Bellis a loan target for Leicester, with fellow relegated sides Leeds United and Southampton also interested.
The reigning European champions are supposedly open to selling the centre-back at the right price before the window shuts.
Last month, the Evening Standard revealed that Harwood-Bellis was valued at around £15m, and with the expiration of his contract in 2024, coupled with the monstrous competition for minutes he faces at City, it looks likely that he will depart.
Would Taylor-Harwood Bellis be a good signing for Leicester City?
The last year of the young defender’s life has been absolutely tremendous. In the summer of 2022, he joined Burnley on loan, and in 31 Championship starts, he averaged the most interceptions (1.1) and blocks (0.7) per game as the Clarets clinched the title.
After making waves in club football, the Englishman then captained the U21 Three Lions at the recent European Championships. He started five of the six games, managed 90% pass accuracy, and won a mammoth 86% of his ground duels, as his nation went on to win the tournament under his leadership.
Therefore, Harwood-Bellis has emphatically demonstrated that he is a capable, assured, and combative defender, who possesses the correct mentality to succeed.
This was noted by Burnley manager and Man City legend Vincent Kompany, who said:
“I think his biggest quality, that is perhaps more difficult to see on the eye, is his leadership and his incredible drive and high standards.”
However, due to the elite nature of his boyhood and the ridiculous defensive depth, a pathway to the City first-team looks untenable, and the defender must seek a move away from the Etihad Stadium to fill his monumental potential.
Leicester would be a fantastic destination for the Stockport-born titan, and if he joined, he would undoubtedly look to emulate the influence that Jonny Evans had on the side.
The former Manchester United defender originally joined Leicester in 2018 and was an indispensable component of a side that was a persistent menace to the top four and won the FA Cup.
However, last campaign, the veteran missed 22 games through injury and the club suffered an unexpected relegation. This can mainly be attributed to their defensive fragility, as they conceded the fourth-highest number of goals in the division (68).
A correlation between a severe decline in their performances and the absence of Evans provides a telling backdrop as one of the reasons the club now finds itself in the Championship.
However, Harwood-Bellis has previously tasted promotion and his possible signing, which could be viewed as an Evans replacement, would be a statement of intent from Maresca and the Foxes.
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