Major Harvey Elliott Update Leaves Liverpool in Limbo

Harvey Elliott has endured a dismal loan spell with high-flying Aston Villa.

Harvey Elliott has been used sparingly at Liverpool. | Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

Unai Emery has insisted that Harvey Elliott’s situation is “not changing” at Aston Villa as the Englishman’s short and long-term future looks increasingly uncertain.

“With Harvey, it’s not changing. Our idea is that we spoke to him clearly. He’s a fantastic guy” Emery said, despite including Elliott in the matchday squad for the trip to Newcastle United.

“On Sunday, he was on the bench, and if we needed some help from him, he was ready to do it. He is in the squad tomorrow. But the situation is not changing for him that he has now.”

Elliott joined Villa from Liverpool on an initial loan deal last summer, which would be made permanent for around £30 million should he play a certain number of games. The Midlands side swiftly made the decision they were not interested in triggering the buy option in the contract, subsequently exiling the attacking midfielder—who is five appearances away from becoming a permanent Villa player.

There have been suggestions that Villa are eager to cut Elliott’s loan short, but they would be required to pay Liverpool a fee in order to do so. If he doesn’t return to Merseyside, then he’s unlikely to feature much throughout the remainder of the campaign.

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MLS Club in Race for Harvey Elliott Signature

Harvey Elliott has been linked with MLS. | James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images

Liverpool are seemingly unwilling to utilise Elliott for the remainder of the season but he’s unable to play for another European club having already represented the Reds and Villa during the campaign so far. That means he must look to another continent for respite.

Major League Soccer outfit Charlotte FC Have been linked with a move for the 22-year-old and could offer Elliott an escape route from his nightmare, but that would require Liverpool and the Villans to terminate the loan agreement early and for Elliott to agree to a move to the United States.

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Harvey Elliott’s Aston Villa Stats

• Games played: 5
• Starts: 2
• Minutes: 167
• Goals: 1
• Assists: 0
• Chances created: 1

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Former Villa manager Dean Smith is the current head coach of Charlotte FC, who performed a similar manoeuvre last winter when they signed Wilfried Zaha after he had already played for Lyon and Galatasaray during the 2024–25 season in Europe.

A move to North America looks incredibly complicated for Elliott, who last played for Villa in early October, but he will be desperate to get his career back on track as swiftly as possible.

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Supports Clamour for Liverpool January Activity

Arne Slot’s squad is stretched. | Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images

Elliott’s future is low on the priority list among Liverpool supporters with regard to the January transfer window. Fans are desperate to see some incoming activity after the club’s alarming decline this season, as Arne Slot’s squad becomes increasingly thin.

The weekend’s Premier League defeat to Bournemouth once again highlighted Liverpool’s glaring deficiencies in both defence and attack, with numbers remarkably short—especially in the backline.

However, despite clamour for another centre back—losing out on Marc Guéhi to Manchester City— and further reinforcements in midfield and attack, it appears that Liverpool will opt against dipping into the market, instead waiting to bolster their ranks in the summer window.

That could prove an unwise decision come the season’s conclusion, especially if the Reds fail to qualify for the Champions League as a result of limited depth.

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