Arne Slot delivers a firm, no-nonsense answer when asked if Harvey Elliott might rejoin Liverpool

Arne Slot has firmly played down any idea of Liverpool bringing Harvey Elliott back from his Aston Villa loan in January.

The 22-year-old departed Anfield late in the summer window, with the move set to become permanent once he reaches ten appearances for Unai Emery’s side. So far, though, Elliott has featured just five times, all before early October, and he hasn’t made a Premier League matchday squad in around two months. Emery has admitted it’s hard to justify selecting him when others in similar roles are performing strongly.

Some voices, including Don Hutchison, have urged Liverpool to intervene and recall the midfielder, but Slot has publicly dismissed that notion. Asked about it in a press conference, he responded bluntly: Elliott belongs to Aston Villa and is expected to remain there for the season.

Slot may simply be showing respect to Villa and avoiding unnecessary controversy. Behind the scenes, however, it wouldn’t be surprising if part of him was tempted to bring the player back, even after using him mainly as a substitute last season.

FIFA rules complicate matters further, as players are not allowed to represent more than two clubs in a single season. That restriction prevents Liverpool from ending Elliott’s loan and sending him elsewhere, unless it were to a league that runs on a calendar-year schedule, such as MLS.

As things stand, Elliott finds himself in limbo—overlooked by both his parent club and his loan side, with little chance of an alternative move. It’s a frustrating situation, especially when Liverpool could benefit from extra attacking depth. Even limited minutes would be better than being sidelined entirely.

What comes next for Elliott remains unclear, and the uncertainty may be the most difficult part for him to deal with