Harvey Elliott will be the subject of a conversation aimed at returning him to Anfield in the New Year.
The former England Under-21 international midfielder has been caught in limbo at Aston Villa - and his personal wrangle will be sorted in the coming month.
The 22-year-old has made five appearances for Unai Emery’s men since joining on loan on the final day of the summer transfer window.
The playmaker’s deal included an ‘obligation to buy’ clause at a set fee of £35m.
Aston Villa Clause to Buy Harvey Elliott Activated After 10 Games
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And GIVEMESPORT understands that will be activated if he plays in just TEN matches.
So far, Elliott has appeared five times for the Birmingham club across all competitions.
Another five in the busy schedule in the run-up to the holiday period will mean that Villa end up forking out a £35m fee for a player they don’t need.
And with the club having to jump through significant hoops to satisfy, in particular, UEFA’s profit and sustainability regulations, the likelihood of them committing to such a significant spend is negligible.
So, the chances of Villa pressing the button on a permanent move look near non-existent.
Emery named 18-year-old George Hemmings on the bench for last Sunday’s trip to Leeds United.
The teenager was preferred over Elliott and that snub appears to be pragmatic, rather than personal, with the Spaniard giving the teenager experience of sitting among the substitutes.
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To a large extent, the man who was a star for Lee Carsley’s England Under-21 side as they won the European Championships last summer, has been a victim of circumstance.
When he arrived during the final 24 hours of the summer window closing, Villa were in the midst of a mini-injury crisis.
Several players were returning from injury or struggling with knocks and Emery needed to bolster his squad.
Villa were involved in Europa League action and with that in mind, the club moved to secure both Elliott and Jadon Sancho on temporary deals.
Since then, the injury list has improved.
Emi Buendía has come to the fore following a lengthy absence through injury. The Argentine also went out on loan last term to Bayer Leverkusen but has returned to make important contributions, most notably in the game against Fulham and by scoring the winner at Spurs.
Asked about Elliott, Emery said: “Some players, they need more time, or we can speak about how he struggled last year, Buendia, to achieve what he is doing this season.
“Harvey Elliott, he is working very well. He is working consistently. He is a good guy and his commitment to Aston Villa is fantastic.
“I am happy how he is doing his work here, but now it is difficult because he has other players playing and performing well, for example Emi Buendia and other players.”
Nevertheless, it is all pointing to the exit door in January.
Aston Villa and Liverpool Need to Hold Talks Over Agreement
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The exact details of a potential return to Liverpool will depend upon the terms of the initial loan agreement.
That will take some thrashing out.
But Villa Park isn’t the only place where the mood music has changed since the first few weeks of the current campaign.
Reds’ chief Arne Slot has gone from hero to zero in double-quick time.
After leading the Merseysiders to the title in his first season after taking over from Jurgen Klopp, the wheels have fallen off.
Ironically, the only team that the current title-holders have beaten since the rot started is Villa.
But Slot is coming under increasing pressure to find solutions to a problem that has seen the Reds slip to 12th in the current Premier League table.
Having Elliott to call upon may not reduce those overnight but the addition of a player who formed a part of the success under the previous manager might be no bad thing.