Liverpool’s ‘concerns’ over how Harvey Elliott has been handled at Aston Villa since his loan move
Liverpool’s position on Harvey Elliott’s loan move to Aston Villa has reportedly become clearer.
The 22-year-old joined Villa on deadline day in a season-long loan deal that includes an obligation to buy next summer — but only if he makes 10 appearances. So far, he has featured just five times, leaving that clause in doubt.
Elliott has not played in any of Villa’s last five games across all competitions before their Europa League meeting with Maccabi Tel Aviv. He was an unused substitute in three of those matches and left out entirely for the 1-0 win over Manchester City.
The midfielder also missed Villa’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool due to Premier League rules preventing loan players from facing their parent clubs. After the City game, Unai Emery described Elliott’s omission as a tactical call, saying:
> “He is training well and has played some matches, but the performances were not what we needed. Others like Buendia, Rogers, and Barkley are doing well in that role. I’m happy with him, but we had to make a choice for the squad.”
Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Liverpool will be “concerned” about Elliott’s situation, noting that the Reds likely expected the permanent move to go through.
> “There’s talk the manager isn’t happy with his performances or training, which is worrying for Villa, the player, and Liverpool,” Brown said. “He’s not really a winger or a true central midfielder, so fitting him into the team is tricky. Villa might not have been the right club for him.”
Elliott’s struggles for game time continued on Thursday, as he remained on the bench in Villa’s 2-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv, with Emery using all five substitutes before the 75th minute.
