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Harwood-Bellis has joined Unai Emery's side in a deal reportedly worth £30m, with Villa paying a guaranteed £25m transfer fee plus £5m in add-ons.

The 24 year-old comes in to fill the gap left by Ezri Konsa, who completed his £55m switch to Premier League champion Arsenal earlier in the transfer window. 

During his time at Southampton, who he initially joined on loan in 2023, Harwood-Bellis made 134 appearances across all competitions for the Saints.

No player made more clearances, won more duels and won more aerial duels than Harwood-Bellis in that time for Southampton. 

He arrives with previous Premier League experience, having played for the Saints in the division in 2024-2025, a season which ended in Southampton being relegated. 

Harwood-Bellis made up a defence that conceded 86 goals in that campaign, which was more than any other side in the Premier League that season. 

Southampton reached the play-off final last season with Harwood-Bellis as captain, only for the team to be expelled from competing in the showpiece match after being found guilty of spying on their semi-final opponents, Middlesbrough. 

Harwood-Bellis is the 11th new signing for Villa this season, joining Zion Suzuki, Matteo Ruggeri, Modou Keba Cisse and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in bolstering Villa's defence. 

Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson, Mbaye, Joao Gomes and Leon Goretzka have also joined the Villans permanently, while Alejandro Garnacho has arrived on loan. 

Harwood-Bellis will be hoping to improve a Villa defence that has conceded five goals in its opening two Premier League matches after its 1-0 defeat to Arsenal.

Villa has also lost its first two Premier League matches of the season for the first time since 2019-20.

It is the first team to finish in the top-four of the top-flight and then lose its first two games of the next season since both Arsenal and Manchester United in 1992-1993.