Burnley have entered the race to recruit Manchester City centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis ahead of the summer window opening next month, as per a report from The Sun.

The 20-year-old spent the second half of last season at Stoke City after playing for Anderlecht earlier in 2021/22, with ex-City defender Vincent Kompany currently in charge of the Belgian side.

However, he is thought to be closing in on being appointed as Sean Dyche's permanent successor at Turf Moor - and could potentially secure a reunion with Harwood-Bellis who previously played in Lancashire with Blackburn Rovers.

However, the Clarets aren't the only side interested in a move for the England youth international with Scottish Premiership champions Celtic also reported to have him on their list of targets, with Champions League football potentially on offer for the youngster north of the border.

Championship rivals Stoke may also be continuing to monitor the defender with their boss Michael O'Neill admitting that he would like to explore the possibility of bringing him back to the bet365 Stadium on loan next season.

Like the Potters, the Lancashire side also need to address their centre-back situation with James Tarkowski set to move on from Turf Moor this summer and Nathan Collins also being linked with a move away, although the latter could potentially remain at the club after only arriving last summer.

The Verdict:

This would be a good addition for the relegated side considering Kompany has already worked with him before, with a Harwood-Bellis and Collins partnership potentially giving them the defensive solidity needed to get them back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Considering the relationship Kompany and City have as well, they are likely to have an advantage over many other sides in the race for his signature and if his performances at Stoke are anything to go by, he will be a real asset in Lancashire.

There will be no shortage of motivation for the 20-year-old to do well too - because he may look to move on permanent in the next year or two and performing well at Turf Moor could allow him to earn a longer-term stay there or enable him to put himself in the shop window.

At this stage, there's no point in Pep Guardiola's side keeping him with Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Ayermic Laporte and John Stones currently ahead of him in the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium, so it's more than likely that he will be made available for another temporary spell away.

Considering he's an England youth international, they may not want to let him go yet, especially if he can help to fill their homegrown quota in the future. But a deal is also ideal for Burnley who will want to get value for money on incomings this summer.