England U21 manager Lee Carsley was raving about Wolves transfer target Harvey Elliott after the Young Lions’ late win.
England U21 beat the Netherlands U21 2-1 in the semi-final of the U21 European Championships to book a spot in the final.
The star of the show was Wolves target Elliott, who scored twice in the game, with his winner coming in the 85th minute.
Elliott was compared to Lionel Messi for the manner in which he netted England’s second, with a goal worthy of firing his country to the final.
Harvey Elliott celebrates after scoring for England.
Photo by Tullio Puglia – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Lee Carsley highlights Harvey Elliott trait that’s similar to Matheus Cunha
Wolves fans were stunned at Elliott’s £40m price tag set by Liverpool, but the opinion might have changed after the versatile midfielder’s performance at the Euros.
The 22-year-old is capable of playing in an array of positions, but for England U21, he’s been utilised on the flank.
As well as being a player who wreaks havoc playing in wide areas, Elliott can also play centrally in the number ten role, which makes links to Wolves understandable.
The Old Gold are in the market for a player who can replace the magic lost from Matheus Cunha’s transfer to Manchester United in the role, and Elliott could be that man.
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Though the Liverpool gem has a long way to go until he can be compared to Cunha, the signs are already there that he could offer Wolves a threat similar to the Brazilian.
Speaking after England U21’s win over the Netherlands, manager Lee Carsley described Elliott as being a player who is ‘explosive’, something that Cunha was well known for being at Molineux.
“We’ve had to manage his minutes in terms of the amount he’s played and the intensity he plays at because he’s so explosive with the way he moves and his end product,” Carsley said.
In five appearances at the U21 Euros, Elliott has got himself on the scoresheet four times, as the Wolves target continues to impress in ways that are rarely seen in the Premier League.
Wolves have to pay Elliott’s asking price
Elliott doesn’t want to waste his career at Liverpool, for whom he secured only two league starts last season.
Such is likely to open the door to a summer transfer, and after seeing what the 22-year-old is doing for his country, Wolves won’t be the only interested party.
Competition will build in the race for the starlet’s signature, and Wolves might just have to pay the asking price, as Elliott is showing that he has everything that Vitor Pereira’s squad desperately need.
Liverpool want £40m for Elliott, which is a lot of money, but for a player accustomed to playing in the English top flight, and a player very much on the rise, the fee might be considered a bargain one day.