Southampton offload centre-back to European giants after bringing in Man City star to replace him

PSV Eindhoven have officially announced the signing of 21-year-old Southampton centre-back Armel Bella-Kotchap on a season-long loan. 

The youngster is considered to be a top talent and has been looking to leave the Saints since they were relegated to the Championship.

As reported by TEAMtalk, Bayern Munich were interested in signing Bella-Kotchap but were unable to finalise a deal before the German transfer window closed at 5pm.

PSV have now announced on their official website that the Saints star has completed a temporary move to the Dutch club. Bella-Kotchap made 24 Premier League appearances last season but is yet to feature this term.

He could prove to be an important player for PSV, too, as they have several defenders sidelined with injuries at the moment.

Southampton have already brought in a replacement for Bella-Kotchap. The south coast club secured the signing of Manchester City centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis on a season-long loan.

The defender captained the England under-21s to victory in the European Championship this summer. He also spent last season on loan with Burnley, where he helped the Lancashire club win the Championship title. He made 32 league appearances for the Clarets, scoring one goal.

With that in mind, he could be exactly the kind of signing Russell Martin needs to help his side secure promotion at the first time of asking this season.

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