Former goalkeeper Shay Given reckons Unai Emery would rather invest in other areas instead of securing Harvey Elliott permanently.
The Liverpool loanee is set to complete a permanent move to Aston Villa if he reaches 10 appearances for the club, yet he has only featured five times across the past three months.
Elliott has been absent from Villa's previous four Premier League matchday squads. He was unable to face his parent club, Liverpool, and was also omitted from the fixtures against Manchester City, Bournemouth, and Leeds United. Before Villa's Europa League clash with BSC Young Boys, Unai Emery was questioned about whether Elliott's future remains in doubt with the January transfer window looming.
"We now have a lot of matches. 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."
Former Villa goalkeeper Given suggests that Emery may have already reached a conclusion regarding Elliott, and is reluctant to commit $46 million (£35 million).
"I think it's a tricky one because if he starts 10 games then Villa will have to pay a certain amount of money, and that's already agreed," Given told Betway.
"Maybe he's not fitted in as well as Emery thought, and now he thinks he could maybe spend that money elsewhere. I never really liked those clauses for players because it can hold him back.
"It's not ideal, if I'm being brutally honest. But I remember last summer he was Player of the Tournament for England Under-21s.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery gestures on the touchline during the Premier League match at Elland Road
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery gestures on the touchline during the Premier League match at Elland Road (Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire)
He scored some important goals last year for Liverpool when they won the league, as well, and I thought personally he would have played more games, especially in the earlier part of the season when Villa were struggling.
"I don't know what Harvey will be thinking but it'll likely be about keeping his head down, pushing on and working hard in training.
"He strikes me as the kind of person who is really dedicated to his profession, so it'll be hurting him that he's not playing more games. Harvey's at the age where he should be playing regularly now in the Premier League.
"He'll be frustrated, but it'll be interesting to see if he doesn't play between now and January he could go back to Liverpool."