Harvey Elliott's loan move to Aston Villa has not worked out as planned, with the midfielder having been left out of the squad for a number of months
Harvey Elliott of Aston Villa arrives at the stadium prior to the UEFA Europa League match against Feyenoord
Harvey Elliott has endured a difficult spell at Aston Villa(Image: Photo by Lars Baron - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
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Former Liverpool midfielder David Thompson has advised Harvey Elliott to return to Anfield this month and vie for his place in the team.
Elliott's time at Aston Villa, following a loan move on deadline day with an option for a permanent transfer in the summer, has been less than ideal. If the 22-year-old were to make 10 appearances, Villa would activate a £35 million purchase clause.
Initially, it seemed like a sure thing, but after a few games under Unai Emery at the start of the season, Elliott has essentially been sidelined from the squad since October. His last appearance for Villa was a brief four-minute stint against Feyenoord in the Europa League on October 2.
Since then, he's only made a few appearances on the bench and has often been left out of the squad entirely, without getting any playing time. Emery confirmed in a press conference this week that Villa decided "months ago" not to sign Elliott permanently.
He clarified that Elliott's absence is not due to a lack of effort or application in training, but simply to ensure the buy clause isn't activated, reports the Liverpool Echo.
This has understandably left all three parties in a difficult situation now the January transfer window has arrived. It has been widely reported that Elliott's loan deal contains no recall clause, meaning if the player is to return to Anfield this month, the arrangement would likely need to be terminated entirely, potentially carrying financial consequences for both clubs.
Elliott, who clearly isn't in favour with Liverpool head coach Arne Slot, is also prevented from joining another club on loan due to having featured for both the Reds and Villa this season. FIFA regulations state that players cannot represent more than two clubs in any given campaign, which means a league operating on a different calendar, such as the MLS, is Elliott's only transfer possibility this month.
However, according to Thompson, who made over 50 appearances for Liverpool during his playing career before hanging up his boots at 29, Elliott should grab the chance to return to Anfield and battle for his place. The World Cup dream has effectively evaporated given how his opening months at Villa have unfolded, so heading back to Liverpool should, at the very least, provide him with a genuine chance to compete for game time.
Harvey Elliott of Liverpool during the Premier League match against Newcastle
Harvey Elliott has already represented two clubs this season so cannot join another European club in January
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"I think they should rip up the contract, the agreement with Villa and go back and play," Thompson said on No Tippy Tappy Football. "Because ultimately he only left because he wanted to prove himself and try and get in the World Cup squad.
"But it has not worked out so I think he is caught between the devil and deep blue sea as well because he can not play for three clubs in one season. He needs to go back to Liverpool."
Liverpool have certainly struggled with injuries this campaign, leaving their attacking resources worryingly stretched. The Reds were arguably already short up front after failing to replace Luis Diaz following his summer switch to Bayern Munich, and a recent long-term injury picked up by Liverpool's marquee summer signing Alexander Isak has only made matters worse.
Mohamed Salah's future at Anfield also remains unclear, while he's currently away on international duty with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations. Other summer recruits Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz have been given plenty of opportunities, though both appear to be struggling to last the full 90 minutes on a consistent basis.
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