Wolverhampton Wanderers finally have a new manager. It has been over a month since they sacked Bruno Lage, however, Julen Lopetegui was confirmed as their new boss on Saturday and he faces a tough challenge in keeping the Old Gold in the Premier League this season.

It looks like the 56-year-old has already turned one eye to potential future transfers, and according to Alan Nixon, Wolves are keeping a close eye on Manchester City defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who is currently on loan at Burnley this season.

Leicester City are also monitoring the centre-back and with the Molineux outfit having just four central defenders, Lopetegui will be surely prioritising that area of the squad.

The 20-year-old scored his first City goal at just 17 years of age in an FA Cup tie against Port Vale back in January 2020, but he finds himself in the Championship this season, gaining crucial first-team experience.

Under the tutelage of former City defender Vincent Kompany, Burnley are thriving. They are top of the division and are aiming to bounce back from relegation last season.

Harwood-Bellis has achieved a SofaScore rating of 7.24/10 for his performances in the Championship this term, a number that impressively ranks him second in their squad.

He ranks first for accurate passes per game (68.9), clearances per match (3.4), and interceptions per outing (1.9) proving that he not only can he play out from defence, but he also knows how to do the basics of defending well.

His former manager at Blackburn Rovers, Tony Mowbray, described the defender as having a “warrior attitude” and it certainly looks like he is demonstrating this so far, especially during the current campaign with his excellent showings.

Although a move will more than likely have to wait until the summer, with his stock rising and City having an abundance of centre-backs, Lopetegui could yet seal a dream first signing by making an offer in January.

Indeed, with a lack of centre-backs and a defence that has shipped 22 goals in just 14 games, bringing in a classy defender such as Harwood-Bellis should be of utmost priority.

Thus, it could well be the catalyst that saves their season if it already isn’t too late by that point.