Harvey Elliott joined Aston Villa on loan from Liverpool at the end of the summer transfer window but has found minutes hard to come by under Unai Emery
Harvey Elliott during his Aston Villa loan
Harvey Elliott is in the midst of a nightmare season(Image: Richard Lee/Shutterstock)
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Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott has been told to rethink his reluctance to spend the second half of the season in Major League Soccer. Elliott has already played for two Premier League clubs this season - his parent club, as well as Aston Villa.
Therefore, his only option for another move this term is to a league like MLS which doesn't operate on the summer-spring FIFA calendar. Elliott made a late cameo from the bench as Liverpool beat Newcastle in August before making a deadline day loan switch to Villa Park.
However, he has struggled for game time and manager Unai Emery indicated a reluctance to make the move permanent has been a factor. Villa will trigger a permanent £35million move if Elliott hits the threshold of 10 appearances.
He last played in October, and in early January The Times reported that Elliott was not entertaining the idea of moving across the Atlantic to join Charlotte FC. However, former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes the 22-year-old should reconsider.
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"Yes, I do think Harvey Elliott should really consider his options, even the MLS," Murphy told BestBettingSites.co.uk. "Harvey Elliott is a super talent. He’s got a great attitude and we’ll definitely see him playing in the Premier League and succeeding.
"It obviously hasn’t worked at Villa, and sometimes that happens. A manager doesn’t see you the same way you see yourself, or doesn’t see you in the roles you feel suit you.
"If he only sees him as a number 10 , which seems to be the case, then you’re competing with Morgan Rogers, a resurgent [Emi] Buendía, and there are financial considerations when you’re bringing him on as a substitute. It’s not ideal, but these things happen and you put it down to experience."
Harvey Elliott during Newcastle vs Liverpool in August 2025
Elliott played for Liverpool against Newcastle in August(Image: Offside via Getty Images)
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Elliott was back on the bench for Villa's win at Newcastle on Sunday, though he didn't make it onto the pitch. The inclusion sparked suggestions Villa and Liverpool might have made progress on a renegotiation whereby the Midlands club would no longer need to commit to a permanent deal once he hits the 10-game mark.
If he does opt to move to MLS, though, he would be following in the footsteps of former Premier League stars Wilfried Zaha and Javier Hernandez. Zaha joined Charlotte in January 2025 after representing Galatasaray and Lyon in the same season, while Hernandez's move to LA Galaxy in 2020 came after outings for West Ham and Sevilla.
"The problem we have with Harvey is this year he is on loan and in case he is playing matches, we must buy him," Emery said in early January. "We decided two months ago we are not convinced to sign him, spending the money we need.
“This is the issue. But he is training every day, very good with us to help us in training and of course it is not good for him or good for us, but it is football and sometimes we must take decisions that are not good for us."
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