Harvey Elliott has made only five appearances for Aston Villa this season, with Unai Emery to decide on the midfielder's future amid £35m clause
Aston Villa's Harvey Elliott arrives for the Premier League match between Sunderland and Aston Villa at Stadium of Light
Harvey Elliott has struggled to get regular game time at Aston Villa(Image: 2025 CameraSport)
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Unai Emery has suggested that Aston Villa might need to make a call on Harvey Elliott's future when the January transfer window opens.
Elliott, who arrived at Villa on a season-long loan deal on deadline day, has featured just five times for Villa and has been left out of the matchday squad for the last four Premier League fixtures. Whilst he was unable to face parent club Liverpool, Elliott was also absent from the squads that took on Manchester City, Bournemouth, and Leeds.
Should Elliott rack up 10 appearances for Villa, the club will be obligated to pay £35 million to make the 22-year-old's move permanent, reports Liverpool.com.
This has sparked suggestions that Emery is restricting Elliott's minutes amid doubts over whether the midfielder represents a worthwhile long-term investment for his side.
"We now have a lot of matches," Emery said when asked if Elliott can still have a long-term future at Villa Park.
"We must focus on each match with the players we have now. We are not thinking about the transfer window in January.
"He is one of our players, and hopefully he can help us. Then, we are going to decide."
When pressed on what Elliott must do to earn more game time, Emery responded: "Firstly, there are other players performing very well.
Harvey Elliott during Aston Villa vs Fulham
Harvey Elliott has struggled for minutes at Aston Villa(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
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"This is the first argument of why he is not playing. He is training very well every day."
Elliott was omitted from the Villa squad for their recent visit to Elland Road, with 18-year-old George Hemmings selected in his stead. This marks a difficult moment in Elliott's time at Villa so far, with a mammoth task ahead to win over Emery in the coming weeks.
Villa are bracing themselves for a hectic schedule with six games in just 17 days, all leading up to a Premier League showdown with Manchester United before the festive period.
Elliott boasts an impressive record of 149 appearances for Liverpool and was part of the team that clinched the Premier League title in 2020 and 2025. His trophy cabinet from his time at Anfield also includes two Carabao Cups and an FA Cup.
Villa's next match will see them take on Young Boys in the Europa League, where it remains to be seen if Elliott will feature. The next Premier League match for Villa sees them host West Midlands rivals Wolves on Sunday at Villa Park.
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