West Ham are keenly tracking the availability of Manchester City defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

What’s the latest on Taylor Harwood-Bellis to West Ham?

According to Football Insider, the Hammers are “interested” in signing the centre-back, who has enjoyed a hugely impressive loan spell at Burnley this season.

This report reveals that the 2023 Championship winners are also in contention to permanently sign the 21-year-old as Vincent Kompany has developed a good understanding with the youngster.

However, this outlet previously stated that Fulham and Newcastle United, who look set to be able to offer Champions League football after their 4-1 demolition of Brighton, are also in the race for this coveted talent.

The defender is contracted to Pep Guardiola’s side until 2024, but if a new deal cannot be finalised then City may be forced to sell one of their academy starlets.

Why does West Ham want Taylor Harwood-Bellis?

The Clarets loanee has been a revelation since his move to Turf Moor and has emerged as one of the division’s most frightening and awe-inspiring prospects.

Harwood-Bellis has made 32 second-tier appearances and was an integral cog of the meanest defence in the league, which only conceded 35 goals across the campaign.

Within the Burnley squad, the Stockport-born registered the most interceptions per game (1.8) and the second-highest clearances (3.5), as per WhoScored. These magnificent statistics reflect Harwood-Bellis’ tremendous composure and ability to read the game.

During a transformative season, in which Kompany has completely transitioned the Clarets to a possession-based, free-flowing attacking unit, Harwood-Bellis has thrived in this new setup.

The Belgian manager has lavished the defensive titan in praise and hailed his “leadership, incredible drive, and high standards.”

The Hammers are likely to receive an astronomically large fee in the region of £100m for club captain Declan Rice and reinvestment in the U21 international would represent an astute piece of business.

If the Englishman wants to achieve his outrageous potential, then a move away from the Etihad Stadium may be the most logical route.

The reigning Premier League champions already have Ruben Dias, John Stones, Aymeric Laporte, Manuel Akanji, and Nathan Ake at their disposal, so it seems unlikely that he will feature anywhere near Guardiola's first-team options.

Furthermore, Fabrizio Romano has outlined how the club is also prepared to lodge a move for Josko Gvardiol, which would further minimise Harwood-Bellis’ already slim chances.

The pathway to becoming a City regular and emulating the pathway of Phil Foden looks like a murky and problematic process, so the best option would be to consider a move to another top-flight outfit.