Leeds United will kick off their Championship campaign this weekend at Elland Road, and now a fresh update has emerged on the club's pursuit of a potential transfer target.
What's the latest on Leeds' interest in Taylor Harwood-Bellis?
According to Leeds Live journalist Beren Cross, the Whites' interim football advisor Nick Hammond has lodged enquiries with representatives of Manchester City youngster Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
As per the report, Cross claims that it remains to be seen how interested Leeds are in making a concrete move for the defender, but would likely be the most attractive prospect for the player in the Championship if Premier League interest does not amount to anything.
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How good is Taylor Harwood-Bellis?
Daniel Farke will be hoping to make a good first impression when he leads his new squad out for the very first time against Cardiff City in west Yorkshire on Sunday afternoon, with nothing short of a victory necessary to get the supporters onside after a difficult 12 months for the club.
Whilst the former Norwich boss will be fully focused on matters on the pitch, there is still a lot of work to be done to make sure the squad is capable of competing over the 46-game campaign ahead.
In terms of defensive departures, Leeds have lost several first-team players over the course of the transfer window with Robin Koch, Rasmus Kristensen and this week, Maximilian Wober made a loan switch to Borussia Mönchengladbach.
As a result, the signing of Harwood-Bellis would be a great piece of business for the Whites and would present a huge opportunity to sign an exciting youth prospect that not only has a wealth of Championship experience, but a worthy Wober successor too.
The England U21 titan spent last season on loan with Burnley, reuniting with Citizens legend Vincent Kompany who also acquired the services of Hardwood-Bellis during his time at Anderlecht too.
Over 32 Championship appearances, the 21-year-old scored one goal, delivered two assists, tallied up an 85% pass completion rate and successfully completed 57% of his dribbles, as well as averaging a whopping 91 touches, 69.1 accurate passes, 3.1 clearances and 4.3 duels won per game, playing a massive part in the Clarets promotion to the Premier League.
Not only that, Harwood-Bellis – who has a £15m price tag according to journalist Alan Nixon – ranks in the top 20% of defenders in the Men's 'Next Eight Competitions' for assists, shot-creating actions, progressive passes and interceptions per 90, as per FBref, demonstrating his strong ball-playing and offensive qualities.
The Man City youth academy graduate has unsurprisingly been the recipient of high praise for his development and progression so far, with Kompany waxing lyrical about the talented defender:
"I've known Taylor [Harwood-Bellis] for a long time so what everyone can see on the ball or what everyone can see when he goes into his challenges, 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."
With that being said, if Leeds could secure the services of Harwood-Bellis this summer it would be a major coup and would undoubtedly help Farke acheive his goal of following in Burnley's footsteps by achieving an instant bounce back to the Premier League.