An interesting theory has emerged which could explain why Harvey Elliott has barely played for Aston Villa since his move from Liverpool over the summer. It was a bitter pill to swallow for the boyhood supporter that game time was not going to come easily at Anfield when an engine room of Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, and Dominik Szoboszlai - which was the defining feature of the Reds' 20th league title - was then bolstered by the £116 million arrival of Florian Wirtz.
Still only 22, the Englishman could at least leave Merseyside knowing he departed on a high. With 15 goals and 20 assists in 149 appearances, he lived his dream, capped it off with a second Premier League title, and remains adored by Liverpool supporters - ensuring his legacy stays intact.
However, his move to Villa Park appears to have already reminded him of the same struggles he faced at Liverpool, as the midfielder has managed just 167 minutes so far, despite Villa’s inconsistent form earlier in the season. Those back at Anfield were initially puzzled by the situation given his talent, but a theory that could explain everything has now surfaced.
Theory Emerges Over Harvey Elliott's Aston Villa Struggles
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Elliott's season-long loan agreement includes both a buy-back and a sell-on clause, already signalling Liverpool’s continued interest in his long-term development. What’s less well known, however, are the terms tied to Villa’s obligation to buy. It was revealed by The Athletic that the 22-year-old must make at least 10 appearances in the 2025/26 campaign to trigger a £35 million permanent move.
With PSR concerns looming large over the West Midlands club ahead of the summer, that clause could be preventing Unai Emery from using Elliott as much as he might otherwise have liked. One Liverpool supporter took to X and theorised:
"I’m sure I read somewhere that there’s a minimum number of games/mintures that need to be triggered before the “loan to buy” gets triggered. That’s probably doing him no favours at the moment, as the club can hold playing time back if they are thinking they might not buy him."
Elliott was named Player of the Tournament at the 2025 Under-21 European Championship, and Liverpool’s hierarchy fended off interest from clubs such as RB Leipzig and West Ham before concluding that a move to Aston Villa appeared, on the face of it, the best option for all parties involved.
How Harvey Elliott Has Performed At Aston Villa
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It spoke volumes about Elliott’s potential that, even with competition for places at its fiercest under Arne Slot’s Liverpool, many supporters still had reservations about the club’s decision to let him go.
An attacking midfielder by trade, Elliott also possesses the qualities to operate effectively as a right-winger - as demonstrated when he replaced Mohamed Salah and scored the only goal in a 1-0 away win over eventual Champions League winners PSG last season. His versatility was highly valued at Anfield; however, that quality has yet to translate into his time at Villa. See his season statistics below:
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Having started just twice and come off the bench a further three times, it’s clear that Elliott isn’t setting the world alight as many had expected. However, his overall pass success rate of just under 89 per cent, a duel win rate of 62.5 per cent, and an average of 2.63 shots per game suggest he’s at least doing his best to make an impact when given the opportunity.
What's more, it ended up being he who would score the club's first goal of the season after Emery's side went four games without scoring a goal at the start of the campaign. Starting against Brentford in the third round of the League Cup, he pounced on a mistake to open the scoring. Watch his first goal for Aston Villa below:
With an average of only 34 minutes per appearance, though, it’s fair to say the former Fulham prodigy has barely been afforded even a fighting chance, and his goal never led to any real change of mind from those calling the shots at his new club. And, if Villa decide against making his move permanent, his playing time could take an even crueller turn, given he has already featured in half the games required to trigger his transfer clause.
It seems Elliott was fighting an uphill battle from the moment he arrived at Villa Park. Should his struggles continue, he could well find himself back at Anfield next summer - right back to square one. By then, it will be interesting to see whether he’s handed another chance under Slot, who gave him just 360 minutes of Premier League football in the 2024/25 campaign, or whether he begins to drift into journeyman territory through a series of loan moves.