Aston Villa have reached a verbal agreement to sign Taylor Harwood-Bellis from Southampton, according to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The proposed deal would see Villa pay £25m for the player, with a further £5m available in add-ons. Harwood-Bellis has given the move the green light, meaning the player is understood to have agreed to the transfer.
Romano described the development as “here we go”, the phrase he uses to indicate that a transfer has reached an advanced stage. However, the agreement is not yet complete from an administrative perspective, with the relevant documents still to be exchanged.
Romano posted on social media: “Aston Villa have reached a verbal agreement to sign Taylor Harwood Bellis from Southampton, here we go!
#AVFC closed the verbal agreement for £25m plus £5m add-ons. Green light from the player.
Documents yet to be exchanged but verbal agreement done.”
The reported agreement therefore establishes the financial terms between Aston Villa and Southampton, while also confirming that Harwood-Bellis is willing to join the club. The £25m initial fee and the potential £5m in additional payments would take the total value of the deal to £30m if all the add-ons are met.
At this stage, the transfer remains subject to the completion of the documentation. No documents have yet been exchanged, although the verbal agreement has been reached and the player has approved the move.
The update places Harwood-Bellis at the centre of a deal involving Aston Villa and Southampton, with the next formal step being the exchange of the transfer paperwork. Until that process has taken place, the agreement remains verbal rather than fully documented.
Romano’s report is the source of the information about the negotiations, the fee structure and the player’s decision. His wording confirms that the clubs have settled the main terms, while the “here we go” announcement signals the expectation that the move will proceed.
For Aston Villa, the agreement represents progress towards signing Harwood-Bellis from Southampton. For Southampton, it outlines a possible £25m sale with the opportunity to receive another £5m through add-ons. For the player, the report states that permission has been given for the transfer to move forward.
The deal is therefore advanced but not yet formally completed. The outstanding matter identified in the report is the exchange of documents, following the verbal agreement between the two clubs and the player’s green light.
