The latest on Harvey Elliott's future as Aston Villa boss Unai Emery comments on the Liverpool loanee's situation.placeholder image
The latest on Harvey Elliott's future as Aston Villa boss Unai Emery comments on the Liverpool loanee's situation. | Getty Images
What could happen with Harvey Elliott and how it influences Aston Villa and Liverpool on deadline day.
Aston Villa are in for a quiet transfer deadline day but the conditions around Harvey Elliott’s loan move from Liverpool very much remain in limbo.
Before Unai Emery surprisingly called him up for the trip to Newcastle United on January 25, Elliott had not been in a Villa matchday squad since the start of October. Elliott didn’t play at St. James’ Park but it was his first inclusion in the matchday squad for nearly four months.
The midfielder then played the full 90 minutes in the 3-2 comeback victory over RB Salzburg in the Europa League, sparking debate over whether the obligation to buy clause had been removed. Elliott coming off the bench against Brentford only made those conversations among the fanbase grow louder.
What has Unai Emery said about Harvey Elliott’s loan deal - has anything changed?
But, as far as Emery is concerned, nothing has changed in Elliott’s loan deal. Some Villa fans may question that, given the timing of Elliott coming back in after so long out of Emery’s plans, but the cause appears to be the ongoing midfield injury crisis rather than a change of heart.
Emery has been brutally honest about Elliott whenever he has been asked about him, ever since he revealed Villa were no longer interested in signing him permanently. The structure of Elliott’s loan from Liverpool has been a problem, as Villa simply cannot afford to fork out £35 million on a player Emery doesn’t want for the long term.
For the avoidance of any doubt going into deadline day, Emery was asked for an umpteenth time whether Elliott’s loan conditions could change. During his post-Brentford press conference, around 26 hours before the transfer deadline, Emery said: “We have this issue, tomorrow is the deadline. There was nothing changing before today.”
Will anything happen with Harvey Elliott on deadline day?
Today is of course a different day from yesterday, but it would take something quite drastic for this whole Elliott situation to be resolved. Could Liverpool just waive the obligation to buy clause, so Elliott can play freely until the end of the season? That’s one idea that has been floated.
Well, in an ideal world, maybe Liverpool would agree to that. But then, why would they? After all, they would be helping a direct rival for the Champions League if they pandered to Villa’s needs. And Villa were the ones to agree to the original deal in the first place. So, albeit not impossible, Liverpool stepping in to save the day is unlikely.
There’s a chance that Elliott’s loan could be cancelled entirely, but again it would be Liverpool having to take action as Villa do not have a break clause. That too seems unlikely, given Liverpool have had the entire window to cancel Elliott’s Villa move had they wished to.
Emery may well be correct that nothing at all will happen with Elliott, then. But it’s deadline day and anything can happen. If anything does change, we will bring you the news right here at Birmingham World.
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