Harvey Elliott was once one of the most promising midfielders in the country, but his loan move to Aston Villa hasn't worked out, and he is now highly unlikely to make the England World Cup squad
Harvey Elliott
Harvey Elliott jointed Aston Villa on loan from Liverpool(Image: Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP via Getty Images)
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Harvey Elliott's loan spell at Aston Villa has fallen flat, and the Liverpool midfielder now faces an uphill battle to secure a spot in England's squad for the forthcoming World Cup in America.
Once regarded as one of the nation's brightest midfield talents, Elliott joined Liverpool from Fulham aged just 16 in 2019. Under Jurgen Klopp's guidance, he developed his skills and celebrated victory with England at last summer's European Under-21 Championship.
Yet after Arne Slot succeeded Klopp at the helm, Elliott slipped down the Anfield hierarchy and sealed a deadline day loan transfer to Aston Villa in the summer.
While the move to a top-flight club initially appeared promising, Elliott's stint with the Midlands outfit has proved disappointing. The arrangement featured an obligation to buy based on appearances, a standard clause in numerous transfers.
Yet it's evident Villa have no intention of making the move permanent, with Unai Emery consistently overlooking him for selection. Ex-Villa favourite Dean Saunders has now put forward two explanations for why he believes Elliott has been sidelined.
"Either there is an agreement that they have to pay Liverpool a certain amount of money when he has played a certain amount of matches, or the manager just never signed him," Saunders told AceOdds.com. "They brought in Lindelof, Elliott and Sancho on deadline day. But did he sign any of them?
"Maybe he is trying to make a point now by saying he doesn't need them. Harvey Elliott always lifts the tempo. He makes the runs, chases the goalkeeper, closes down properly. He is a good player. Maybe, he is not top-notch, but he should be getting games for Aston Villa."
Saunders continued: "It is a strange one, isn't it? I think we are all thinking, what is going on there? If Harvey Elliott was at Liverpool, he would be in the team. It is not as big of a mystery as Dele Alli. That was a mystery, but the situation is still a bit similar to his."
Harvey Elliott of Aston Villa
Harvey Elliott is struggling for game time at Aston Villa(Image: Photo by Shaun Brooks - CameraSport via Getty Images)
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Liverpool's squad is looking rather light at present and Slot could undoubtedly benefit from having someone of Elliott's calibre available. Having already turned out for both Liverpool and Villa this season, he's prevented from joining a third European club either on loan or permanently during the January window.
Villa are said to be pursuing AC Milan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, which further underlines how Elliott has fallen down the pecking order at the club. There remains a chance that Elliott could head back to Liverpool this month, though Villa would face a financial penalty for cutting short the loan agreement, making it an unlikely scenario.
However, a potential deal for Loftus-Cheek might prompt them to end it early, as offloading him would create room on their wage bill.
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