Burnley set to make last gasp swoop to re-sign “incredible” former player who’s also keen on move

Burnley manager Scott Parker. (REUTERS/Scott Heppell)

Burnley’s return to the Premier League has quickly turned into a battle for survival.

The Clarets sit 19th in the table with just 14 points from 22 matches, already eight points from safety.

Promotion last season was built on an exceptional defensive platform, with Scott Parker’s side breaking records for goals conceded in the Championship. This time around, that resilience has disappeared, with 42 goals shipped against stronger top-flight opposition.

With time running out and January nearing its close, Burnley are now exploring familiar territory in the hope of steadying the back line — and a former favourite has emerged as a potential late solution.

Burnley are considering a last-minute move to bring Taylor Harwood-Bellis back to Turf Moor before the window shuts.

According to FourFourTwo, the Clarets are weighing up an approach to Southampton for the centre-back, who enjoyed a standout loan spell with Burnley during their title-winning Championship campaign in 2022/23 while on Manchester City’s books.

Now 23, Harwood-Bellis has continued to develop on the south coast, becoming a regular for Saints this season and chipping in with four goals from defence in 25 appearances. He has also earned a senior England cap — memorably finding the net on his debut — and was once labelled “incredible” by City boss Pep Guardiola.

The report suggests Burnley’s interest is serious, with the player open to a reunion either now or in the summer. Southampton, however, are expected to stand firm. Harwood-Bellis is viewed as a key part of their plans.

For Burnley, re-signing a defender who knows the club, the league and the pressure of promotion battles could offer a rare sense of stability — but prising him away in January may prove a tough ask.

Barnaby Lane is a highly experienced sports writer who has written for The Times, FourFourTwo Magazine, Sports Illustrated, TalkSPORT, and Business Insider.

Over the years, he's had the pleasure of interviewing some of the biggest names in world sport, including Usain Bolt, Rafael Nadal, Christian Pulisic, and more.

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