Harvey Elliott looked certain to have played his final match in a Liverpool shirt, but he might not have a long-term future at Aston Villa due to a decision by Unai Emery.
Once a key player for Liverpool, Harvey Elliott’s importance gradually diminished and his move away from the club was finalised during the summer transfer window.
Elliott joined Aston Villa in an obligation-to-buy loan deal worth £35m. However, a condition was inserted into this deal which means the midfielder must make 10 appearances for the Birmingham based club for the clause to be triggered.
At this point in time, Elliott has only played five matches for Aston Villa, with Unai Emery seemingly not convinced by his abilities.
According to The Athletic, Elliott has impressed staff at Aston Villa due to his attitude and he was not initially offended by the lack of first-team minutes he was given.
However, the 22-year-old has grown increasingly disappointed over the past month, because he expected to see more match action when he agreed to join the Europa League team.
It seems there is no escape for Elliott, because there is no clause in his loan move which gives Liverpool the power to recall him to the club. A negotiation must take place between the two teams if the Englishman’s loan deal is to be terminated and neither side have indicated that they are in favour of this happening.
Elliott impressed at the UEFA European under-21s tournament earlier this year and he will have been hoping to boost his chances of representing England at the 2026 World Cup.
This, however, is looking increasingly unlikely because Elliott is not allowed to feature for a third club in the same season. Therefore, his only option is to remain at Aston Villa, unless Liverpool attempt to bring him back to Anfield, which reports suggest will not happen.
Unfortunately for Elliott, Emery was never keen on signing him in the first place. The Villa boss admired Marco Asensio, who was on loan at the club from PSG last season. West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta was also a player who caught his interest.
Therefore, even if Elliott does make 10 appearances to make his Villa move permanent, his long-term future may not be in the West Midlands after all.
