In the end, the only real surprise was that Harvey Elliott’s move away from Liverpool wasn’t concluded until the final hours of the transfer window.
After a summer spent in limbo, the 22-year-old agreed to join Aston Villa on loan for the remainder of the season on Monday night – with an obligation to buy dependent on making 10 appearances.
But for Elliott, leaving his boyhood club wasn’t a late twist in the tale.
An Anfield exit had been on the cards for most of 2025 after being limited to just two Premier League starts last term as Liverpool romped to a second title success in five years.
After getting his hands on the Premier League title on the final day of last season, an emotional Elliott was one of the last players to leave the pitch.
Joined by his father, Scott, he made it his mission to bid farewell to as many supporters at Anfield as possible.
Less than 24 hours later, when the squad paraded through the city of Liverpool on an open-top bus to celebrate a 20th title in the club’s history, Elliott, flanked by superstar DJ Calvin Harris, was determined to enjoy a final public appearance in the place he had been able to call home since joining from Fulham in July 2019.
Yet, despite his clear emotional connection to the club, it was a few weeks later that the midfielder decided that a move away from Anfield was necessary if he was to take the next steps in his career.
Elliott’s realisation
BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA - JUNE 25: Harvey Elliott of England acknowledges the fans following victory in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2025 Semi-Final match between England and Netherlands at National Football stadium on June 25, 2025 in Bratislava, Slovakia. (Photo by Tullio Puglia - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
The realisation came after he had starred in England’s under-21s European Championship success in Slovakia.
The 22-year-old started all six matches for the Young Lions and scored five goals, including a brace against the Netherlands in the semi-final, on his way to being named as the Player of the Tournament.
It was a breakthrough that whetted Elliott’s appetite for regular game time and convinced him that a move away from Liverpool would be the only way he could continue his development.
When he returned to Merseyside, he rejected approaches from former club Fulham and West Ham. Meanwhile, the final days of the window saw Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig go head-to-head with Aston Villa for the England youth international.
HARVEY ELLIOTT’S LIVERPOOL CAREER
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 25, 2025: Liverpool's Harvey Elliott celebrates with the trophy after the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Debut: vs. MK Dons; Sep 25, 2019
Appearances: 149
Goals: 15
Assists: 17
Honours: Premier League, League Cup (two), Super Cup, Club World Cup
In the end, it was Unai Emery’s side who secured Elliott’s signature – in a deal that appears to benefit all parties.
The versatile attacker joins on an initial loan deal, though Villa are obliged to pay £35 million to make the deal permanent next summer.
The structure of the deal is also sensitive to Villa’s fragile financial situation after the club was slapped with a hefty fine by UEFA in July.
The Villans are also walking a financial tightrope in the Premier League, with losses of more than £200 million across the last two years putting them at serious risk of breaching PSR regulations – which, as Nottingham Forest and Everton found out, could result in a points deduction.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, July 22, 2020: Liverpool’s Neco Williams, Takumi Minamino, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, goalkeeper Adrián San Miguel del Castillo and goalkeeping coach John Achterberg celebrate after being crowned Premier League champions after the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC at Anfield. The game was played behind closed doors due to the UK government’s social distancing laws during the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic. Liverpool won 5-3. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Elliott’s arrival, however, allows last season’s Champions League quarter-finalists the chance to strengthen their squad after a difficult summer of playing trading was aggravated by the fact that they failed to win any of their first three Premier League games.
It’s worth noting that it’s the kind of deal that will only strengthen the relationship between the two clubs, particularly if a player of Liverpool’s interest becomes available for transfer at Villa Park in the not-too-distant future.
Across deadline day, speculation linked PFA Young Player of the Year Morgan Rogers with a future move to Anfield, with the 23-year-old seen as fitting Liverpool’s recruitment profile.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 25, 2024: Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot (R) and Harvey Elliott after the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield. Liverpool won 2-0. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
However, it is understood that Liverpool do not currently have any plans to pursue a move for the England international. If there is interest, it’s not considered significant at this stage.
Elliott, on the other hand, will be hoping to take inspiration from Rogers as he aims to realise his dream of breaking into the England squad ahead of next summer’s World Cup finals in the United States.
To achieve that, he needs to be playing regularly in the Premier League – something both he and Liverpool recognised would be unlikely if he stayed at Anfield after the Premier League champions shelled out nearly £300 million on Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak this summer.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 25, 2025: Liverpool's Conor Bradley, Andy Robertson, Harvey Elliott, Alisson Becker celebrate with the trophy after the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Club sources have drawn parallels between this deal and the one that took Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen earlier this window.
In both cases, Liverpool included a buy-back clause to keep the door open for a potential return to Anfield.
For that reason, his Liverpool career isn’t necessarily over, it could be more of a ‘see you later’.
But after six years, seven trophies and nearly 150 appearances for the Reds, a deadline day switch felt right for all parties – especially Elliott.