Aston Villa have seen an opening bid of around £18m plus add-ons knocked back by Southampton for centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
Southampton are holding out for a fee in the region of £25m for the defender, making Villa’s initial offer well short of the asking price.
The move comes as Villa seek defensive reinforcements following confirmation that Ezri Konsa is set to join Arsenal for more than £50m.
Harwood-Bellis has been at Southampton since 2023, having initially arrived on loan before making his stay permanent at the south coast club.
The 23-year-old has earned one senior England cap, coming in a 2024 Nations League fixture against the Republic of Ireland.
Harwood-Bellis began his career in the Manchester City academy but never broke into the first team at the Etihad Stadium.
Southampton finished fourth in the Championship last season before the Spygate scandal brought their play-off campaign to an abrupt and controversial end.
Villa have seen several key players depart since winning the Europa League in May, with Youri Tielemans joining Manchester United, Morgan Rogers moving to Chelsea, and Lucas Digne leaving for Paris St-Germain.
Goalkeeper Emi Martinez and club record Premier League goalscorer Ollie Watkins have also been linked with moves away from Villa Park this summer.
Villa have not stood still in the transfer market, bringing in goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and left-back Matteo Ruggeri earlier this week.
Midfielder Joao Gomes has also arrived from Wolves this summer, along with forward Johan Manzambi from German side Freiburg.
The club will be hoping to resolve their defensive situation quickly as they look to replace the quality and experience that Konsa provided at the back.
