Liverpool have an important decision to make regarding Harvey Elliott’s immediate future in the January transfer window. The England youth international, who joined Liverpool from Premier League rivals Fulham as a teenager, has made nearly 150 first-team appearances for the club, scoring 15 goals.
One of his notable strikes came against Paris Saint-Germain in last season’s Champions League round of 16, giving Liverpool a decisive advantage heading into the second leg at Anfield. However, this was one of only five goals Elliott scored all season, as he found it difficult to get regular playing time under head coach Arn Slott.
It was no surprise that the 22-year-old was linked with a move from Anfield during the summer. On deadline day, he secured a season-long loan to Aston Villa, which could become a permanent £30m deal if he meets a certain number of appearances.
But Elliott’s hopes of being included in Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad have faded after another difficult season. His chances are hampered not only by strong competition within the Three Lions squad, but also by limited game time at Villa Park.
Elliott, who has featured in just seven games in all competitions and has not been included in the matchday squad since October, faces an uncertain future. Despite impressing Villa’s coaching staff with his dedicated training and effort, he has consistently been ignored by Villa manager Unai Emery.
Elliott’s immediate future is up in the air, with manager Emery effectively confirming that Villa will not sign him permanently. The lack of playing time can be attributed to Villa’s reluctance to trigger his £35m buyout clause.
The BBC claimed earlier this month that there was no recall clause in his contract with Villa. It is possible that the contract could be broken, but that does not take into account that Liverpool’s management are likely to have his sale factored into their budget.
FIFA regulations state that a player cannot represent more than one club during a season. Elliott made a brief appearance for Liverpool against Newcastle earlier in the season, but it means his contract cannot be canceled just to loan him out again.
If he returns to Anfield, he will spend the rest of the season with Liverpool. This could be a ray of hope for Slott considering the number of injuries on the team.
Alexander Isak faced the biggest setback on Saturday against Tottenham when he was sent off after just 10 minutes for a collision with Micky van de Ven. Kodi Gakpo is also absent due to injury, while Mohamed Salah is currently playing for Egypt at the African Cup of Nations.
With Wataru Endo out due to injury, the slot will rely heavily on existing midfielders, with replacement options limited as a result. Florian Wirths hobbled off the pitch in the final moments of Saturday’s win over Tottenham, clutching the sole of his foot, perhaps due to a cramp, but it’s still worrying given Liverpool can’t afford to suffer any further injury setbacks.
