The worst thing that can happen to a young footballer with ambitions is to end up on the bench like Liverpool player Harvey Elliot has done on loan at Aston Villa.
TEAMtalk reports today what is the real reason why Aston Villa manager Unai Emery continues to overlook Harvey Elliott. It is likely that the attacking midfielder, who can also play right wing, could be sent back to Anfield! A replacement should already be in place.
Liverpool, but Mohamed Salah back on the bench after a conversation with manager Arne Slot is currently playing with Brighton at Anfield, while Aston Villa, who are well placed in 3rd place in the Premier League, face West Ham away tomorrow Sunday.
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Elliott left Liverpool for Villa on the final day of the summer transfer window, with a commitment for Villans to make his £35m loan stay permanent in 2026. If Elliott makes ten appearances for Emery’s team this season, Villa will have no choice but to pay this sum next summer.
As of now, Elliott has only made five appearances for Aston Villa and manager Emery has publicly hinted that he may not play him again.
Emery said on Wednesday: “We are talking to him and about his situation. He’s not here with us (in Basel for a Europa League game).”
“Hopefully we can find the best for him and the best for us. I respect him as a player and as a person.”
“He’s training well, but we have a special circumstance with him. Hopefully we can find a solution for him to try to play consistently and continue his career with us or not.”
“I’ve talked to him two or three times about the situation we have with him.”
“First, my decision, and also the situation. He is on loan with us, but he does not have a permanent contract that binds him to us.”
It has now emerged that Emery did not want to sign Elliott for Aston Villa in the first place; The deal with the winger was driven by Monchi, who left his role as the club’s sporting director just weeks later.
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The Liverpool Echo’s Liverpool FC correspondent, Paul Gorst, has reported that “there is an acceptance that the decision to sign Elliott in the final hours of the window was driven by former sporting director Monchi, who left Villa just weeks later.”
The well-informed and well-connected journalist added: “Emery, according to those close to Villa, believes that Elliott has not yet adapted to the demands placed on him, and with the club still trying to avoid the pitfalls of the Premier League’s rules on profitability and sustainability, triggering a £35 million fee for someone who is not part of the plans, be a stupid move.”
Aston Villa plan for the future without Harvey Elliott
Liverpool have no choice about bringing Elliott back from his loan spell at Villa.
Villans are looking to send the winger back to Liverpool next month, as Emery has no plans to give him five more games between now and the end of the season to make the deal permanent. Aston Villa are in the process of signing Gremio striker Alysson, who is said to be an Unai Emery favourite. Aston Villa have agreed personal terms with Alysson, which will cost the Premier League club £11 million in transfer fees.
Villa and Gremio are close to finalising a deal for the 19-year-old Brazilian winger, which would be further bad news for Liverpool.
