Harwood-Bellis omitted from Aston Villa's Champions League squad days after £25m move

Taylor Harwood-Bellis has been left out of Aston Villa’s Champions League squad just days after completing his £25 million move from Southampton, with a UEFA registration rule costing the 24-year-old a place in Villa’s European campaign.

Harwood-Bellis finalised his switch to Villa Park on transfer deadline day following weeks of protracted negotiations, with Villa eventually meeting Southampton’s valuation after an initial bid fell short. His arrival was intended to bolster Villa’s defensive options following the sale of Ezri Konsa to Arsenal last month.

However, because Villa have only two “club-trained” players on their books, UEFA rules restrict them to a 23-man ‘A list’ squad rather than the standard limit of 25. That two-place reduction has left Harwood-Bellis as the only summer signing not to be included, with new arrivals Zion Suzuki, Matteo Ruggeri, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Leon Goretzka, Joao Gomes, Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson, Alejandro Garnacho, and Ibrahim Mbaye all registered.

Harwood-Bellis is still eligible for Premier League action and could make his top-flight debut for Villa when they travel to Hull this weekend.

Roy Keane, Harwood-Bellis’ father-in-law, spoke publicly about the drawn-out nature of the transfer and praised the defender’s composure throughout the saga. “He is a lot more professional than I was,” Keane told The Overlap. “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 was careful not to overstep his role during the process. “He does not speak to me much about it. I have boundaries with him and I won’t be interfering with his business. Every now and again you might just give a bit of advice but I would not be overbearing. He has his own stuff to do.”

The former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland midfielder also backed the move itself, saying: “That last year as [Southampton] were kicked out of the play-offs — I think Villa is a great move for him.”

Southampton’s turbulent end to last season included reaching the Championship play-off final before being expelled over the so-called ‘Spygate’ affair. Harwood-Bellis, who earned an England cap in 2024, will now look to establish himself in the Premier League while Villa navigate their Champions League group without him.