Harvey Elliott’s Future in Doubt as Aston Villa Freeze Out Liverpool Loanee

Harvey Elliott’s future has been thrown into doubt after the Liverpool loanee was frozen out at Aston Villa, raising concerns about his long-term career prospects.

The 22-year-old attacking midfielder found himself further down Liverpool’s pecking order under new manager Arne Slot last season than he had been under Jürgen Klopp. As a result, Elliott made the difficult decision to join Aston Villa on loan last summer.

The deal included a £35 million obligation to buy if the midfielder made ten appearances — a clause widely viewed as signalling the end of his Liverpool career.

However, from the outset, Elliott’s time at Villa Park has not gone according to plan. He was handed the number nine shirt and deployed in an unfamiliar centre-forward role, but his early performances were largely unconvincing.

A Poor Tactical Fit Under Unai Emery

On paper, the diminutive playmaker is the polar opposite of a traditional central striker. Moreover, it never appeared that Villa manager Unai Emery was attempting to implement a false nine system or design an attack reliant on runners breaking beyond Elliott to provide the main goal threat.

This tactical mismatch has led many to question whether Emery truly wanted the player in the first place or simply did not know how best to utilise him. Unsurprisingly, Elliott was soon left out of the squad altogether, and he has not featured for Villa since September.

According to The Athletic, the situation has raised understandable concerns at Liverpool. It appears that Villa, recognising Elliott does not fit into Emery’s plans, may now be ensuring that his £35 million purchase clause is not triggered by limiting his appearances.

Liverpool Concerns and Uncertain Path Ahead

Elliott now looks set to spend the remainder of the season sidelined, training with Villa’s reserves. Although he was no longer a first-choice option under Slot at Liverpool, he had at least been on the fringes of the first team last season, often featuring in domestic cup matches and occasionally coming off the bench in the Premier League.

Despite the current impasse — which benefits no one apart from Villa, and even then only marginally — there have reportedly been no discussions between the clubs regarding a possible early termination of the loan in January.

Because Elliott has already played competitive matches for both Liverpool and Aston Villa this season, FIFA regulations prevent him from joining a third club on loan.

However, if the deal were to be terminated early, a return to training with Liverpool and earning occasional minutes for the Reds would almost certainly be in the best interests of all parties. It would also give Elliott a better chance of securing a suitable move next summer and revitalising his once-promising career.