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Aston Villa have been dealt a significant blow in their pursuit of defensive reinforcements after Southampton rejected a bid for Taylor Harwood-Bellis. Unai Emery is determined to bolster his backline this summer, but the Saints are holding firm on their valuation of the highly-rated England international.

Southampton’s return to the Sky Bet Championship turned into a hostile affair as they were relentlessy taunted over the ‘Spygate’ scandal during a 2-1 defeat at Watford. Tonda Eckert’s side struggled to handle the atmosphere at Vicarage Road in their first league outing since the espionage controversy that derailed their previous campaign.

Fulham have completed the signing of Northern Ireland international midfielder Shea Charles in a deal worth up to £30m from Southampton. The 22-year-old has signed a five-year contract at Craven Cottage to become the most expensive player in his country's history, strengthening the squad ahead of the new Premier League season.

Southampton have clarified their position on the crisis.