Taylor Harwood-Bellis has been excluded from Aston Villa's Champions League squad, The Mirror reported earlier this month, just days after completing his move to the club. The 24-year-old centre-back arrived from Southampton for £25m on the final day of the summer transfer window, which closed on 1 September.
Because the window is now shut until January 2027, no Premier League club can register new players for domestic or European competition until it reopens. That leaves Harwood-Bellis unable to feature in this season's Champions League campaign if the report proves correct.
UEFA regulations require clubs to name a maximum 25-man 'A list', but that number drops when fewer than four home-grown players are available. According to The Mirror, Villa currently have only two club-trained players on their books, restricting them to 23 names. Harwood-Bellis was the only summer recruit who missed out.
Leon Goretzka, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Joao Gomes were all successfully entered into the European roster. The publication added that Zion Suzuki, Matteo Ruggeri, Nicolas Jackson, Alejandro Garnacho, Johan Manzambi and Ibahim Mbaye also secured their places.
The defender's switch from St Mary's took several weeks to finalise. Villa initially fell short of Southampton's asking price before eventually agreeing terms. Harwood-Bellis, who represented England in 2024, had been linked with a departure throughout the closing stages of the window.
His father-in-law, Roy Keane, spoke publicly about the drawn-out process during an appearance on The Overlap podcast. "He is a lot more professional than I was," Keane said. "Really good kid. He has a lot of ups and downs as any footballers do and waiting for the deal to go through."
Keane added that he maintained clear boundaries and avoided interfering in the negotiations, though he occasionally offered advice. The former Manchester United midfielder described the transfer as "a great move" for Harwood-Bellis after Southampton reached the Championship play-off final last season before being expelled over the Spygate affair.
While European football will have to wait, The Mirror suggested Harwood-Bellis could be in line for his Premier League debut when Villa travel to Hull this weekend.
