Aston Villa have agreed a deal to sign Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis, adding to their squad at a moment when the club has also said goodbye to Ollie Watkins.
The move comes after Watkins completed his £50m transfer from Aston Villa to Al Hilal, bringing an end to a six-year spell at Villa Park. In that time, Watkins became the first player in the modern era to score more than 100 goals for Aston Villa, finishing with 108 goals in 278 games.
Villa move quickly after Watkins departure
Watkins' exit had already been building for weeks. He played his final Aston Villa game in May, when Unai Emery's side beat Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final, before missing the opening weekend 4-0 defeat at Brighton. This week, Aston Villa also added Nicolas Jackson on a club-record deal that could rise to £65m, underlining how active the club has been in reshaping its attacking options.
Emery said on Friday that Watkins apologised after the Brighton match and described their farewell as emotional. The Villa manager said Watkins told him sorry after the game, called him a fantastic guy and added that he had said goodbye with a hug and a small cry. Watkins himself wrote that six amazing years had come to an end and said saying goodbye was never easy because the club had been a massive part of his life on and off the pitch.
What Harwood-Bellis adds
While Watkins' departure dominates the headline story, the agreement for Taylor Harwood-Bellis gives Aston Villa another defensive option as the squad changes around Emery. The club has not stood still, and the addition of Harwood-Bellis suggests Villa are trying to manage both ends of the pitch as the transfer window moves on.
There is also a wider financial angle to Watkins' move. Exeter City, where Watkins began before his 2017 transfer to Brentford, said it expects to receive a payment because of a sell-on fee tied to his later transfers. That is another reminder of how a single move can ripple through several clubs long after the original deal is done.
For Aston Villa, the immediate question is less about sentiment and more about balance. Watkins leaves after six highly productive years, Nicolas Jackson arrives for a major fee and Taylor Harwood-Bellis is now set to join the picture as Emery continues to adjust the squad for the season ahead.
