Aston Villa's £18 Million Bid for Harwood-Bellis Rejected by Southampton

Aston Villa have seen an £18 million bid for Taylor Harwood-Bellis knocked back by Southampton, with the Championship club standing firm over one of their key assets.

Unai Emery wants defensive reinforcements as Ezri Konsa edges towards a big-money move to Arsenal worth £51m plus add-ons, and Harwood-Bellis is one of three names on Villa’s shortlist. The 22-year-old, who impressed on loan at Southampton last season, has also attracted interest from Benfica, whose opening £17m offer has also been rejected.

Southampton know they have a seller’s market. Two bids turned away, two clubs circling, and a young English defender under long contract. Villa are expected to come again as they prepare for life without Konsa, whose versatility and reliability have been central to Emery’s back line.

Arsenal, for their part, are closing in. The Gunners are hunting a right-sided defender with both William Saliba and Jurrien Timber ruled out for the start of the Premier League season through long-term injuries. Konsa, 28, fits the brief perfectly: comfortable at centre-back and right-back, experienced, and proven in high-intensity systems.

Talks between Arsenal and Villa are now 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. Personal terms are not expected to be a stumbling block, so this one is all about the fee.

If Konsa does walk through the doors at London Colney, Villa will need a replacement quickly. That’s where Harwood-Bellis comes in – but Southampton are making it clear he will not be cheap.

Wright fumes over Lewis-Skelly saga

Away from the centre-back carousel, Arsenal have another story bubbling in the background – and it has angered one of their greatest icons.

Myles Lewis-Skelly has been linked with a summer move to Manchester United despite publicly stating he wants to stay at Arsenal. The noise around his future has grown loud enough to irritate Ian Wright, who has hit out at how the situation has been allowed to drag on.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Wright 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 stay. 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.”

Wright’s frustration is clear: Arsenal have a gifted youngster who wants to stay, yet the door has been left open for speculation.

New season, new rules

While clubs scramble in the market, players and coaches also have to adapt to a fresh batch of rule tweaks.

Injured players will now have to leave the field for at least one minute when play is stopped for treatment, up from the previous 30 seconds. The aim is obvious: cut down on time-wasting and force teams to think twice before going down.

VAR will be able to intervene on second yellow cards, but only in very specific circumstances – when a player has clearly been given a wrong second booking. It will not step in for potential second yellows that weren’t shown.

Set-pieces are under the microscope as well. A five-second countdown will apply to throw-ins and goal-kicks. Take too long, and the restart can be reversed: a throw-in handed to the opposition or a corner awarded if a goal-kick is delayed.

Substitutions are getting tighter control too. Players will have 10 seconds to leave the pitch when being replaced. If they go over that limit, the incoming substitute must wait until the next stoppage in play after one minute has passed.

Some of the innovations seen at the World Cup will not be coming to the Premier League this season. Matches will not be split into quarters with automatic hydration breaks; drinks pauses will only be allowed if the temperature at kick-off exceeds 30 degrees Celsius. VAR’s scope will not be widened to overturn incorrectly awarded corners, even if replays show the decision was wrong.

On diving and mistaken identity, the line is also clear. A yellow card can be reviewed only to identify the correct player, not to reassess whether the offence – such as simulation – actually occurred. The misinterpretation that led to Switzerland’s Breel Embolo being sent off at the World Cup will not be repeated under current guidance.

There is no new clampdown involving red cards for players covering their mouths, and the existing three-step discrimination protocol inside stadiums remains in place.

Gyokeres focused on Arsenal challenge

Viktor Gyokeres, linked with a move to Barcelona, insists his mind is locked on Arsenal and the season ahead.

Speaking to talkSPORT, the Swede 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.”

No talk of exits. No flirting with other clubs. Gyokeres is setting his stall out early.

Keane unconvinced by United midfield

At Old Trafford, another rebuild is taking shape. Carlos Baleba is on his way, but Roy Keane still sees a glaring issue.

The former Manchester United captain, speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, was blunt about the current midfield’s ceiling.

“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.”

Keane’s verdict cuts to the heart of United’s ambition: dangerous going forward, vulnerable behind, and still short of the standard needed to chase a title.

Curtis Jones closing in on Inter switch

One player who looks set to swap England for Italy is Curtis Jones.

According to reports in Italy, the Liverpool midfielder is due to land in the country today to undergo a medical ahead of a move to Inter Milan. Journalist Gianluca Di Marzio reports that Jones has agreed a five-year contract with the Serie A champions.

Inter have tabled an offer in the region of £30m for the homegrown midfielder, and expectations are that he will complete a move to San Siro. Jones is into the final year of his Liverpool deal, with no progress on an extension, opening the door for a sale rather than a free departure down the line.

If the deal goes through, Liverpool lose another academy product, and Inter add a versatile midfielder to a squad already built to dominate domestically.

Barcelona pivot after Alvarez blow

In Spain, Barcelona have been forced to rethink their attacking plans.

Their pursuit of Julian Alvarez has reportedly ended, with Atletico’s hardline stance shutting down any realistic chance of a deal. Sporting director Deco confirmed the club are now exploring other options as they try 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 the market is thin at the very top end. Losing Lewandowski and Torres in the same window has forced them into a delicate balancing act between internal promotion and external recruitment.

As the window tightens and the rulebook shifts, the pattern is clear: big clubs are gambling on versatility, youth, and marginal gains, all while trying to fix last season’s flaws. The question now is who gets their business right before the first whistle blows – and who spends the autumn wishing they had pushed that little bit harder.