Harvey Elliott's 2025/26 campaign may have taken a very different turn if Jurgen Klopp was still calling the shots at Anfield
Jurgen Klopp, manager of Liverpool, speaks with Harvey Elliott of Liverpool during the Carabao Cup Final match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium
Jurgen Klopp previously expressed his own regret over not playing Harvey Elliott more at Liverpool(Image: James Gill - Danehouse, Getty Images)
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Liverpool loanee Harvey Elliott may well have been in a more favourable situation this season had Jurgen Klopp remained at the Anfield helm. The midfielder finds himself in a precarious predicament at Aston Villa following his summer loan switch.
Shortly after Elliott's temporary move was confirmed, it came to light that Villa were contractually bound to purchase the player should he feature in 10 or more matches this campaign. With such a modest trigger point for the mandatory clause, believed to be valued at £35million, it appeared almost inevitable the player would complete a permanent transfer.
However, Elliott has instead been relegated to the periphery of Unai Emery's squad and has seen limited action in Birmingham. The 22-year-old has featured seven times this term, meaning he can only play twice more before activating Villa's compulsory purchase obligation.
What appeared to be an ideal arrangement for all concerned has rapidly descended into a nightmare scenario for the player. And Klopp's earlier remarks expressing remorse over Elliott's lack of game time suggest he might not have sanctioned Elliott's departure from Anfield in the first place.
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Speaking to reporters in May 2024 about his forthcoming Anfield departure and potential regrets, he said: "It's not like I go back and think, 'Where did we go wrong here and there?' But if I regret one thing a little bit it's that Harvey didn't play often enough, maybe.
"In a very important and intense period in January when we had a lot of injuries, he played really good, probably our best player, whether it was right wing or right midfield, all these kind of things.
Unai Emery, Manager of Aston Villa, speaks to Harvey Elliott of Aston Villa before he comes on as a substitute during the Premier League match between Everton and Aston Villa at Hill Dickinson Stadium
Unai Emery has barely used Elliott during his season-long loan(Image: Neville Williams, Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)
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"[Then] everybody came back and he had a few minutes here and there and didn't start any more and then came on and made a big impact. It's really nice that he could show that."
Arne Slot retained Elliott for his Premier League title-winning debut campaign on Merseyside. The ex-Fulham youngster netted five times in 28 appearances across all competitions last season but was nevertheless loaned out to a club currently sitting higher than Liverpool in the Premier League standings.
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The Athletic reported Elliott was eager to return to his parent club in January. However, Villa would have been required to pay an early termination fee given the absence of a recall clause, and Liverpool were understood to be reluctant to waive that amount.
This leaves Elliott facing uncertainty at a crucial stage in his development. He was crowned Player of the Tournament when England triumphed at last summer's European Under-21 Championship, netting five goals and collecting two Man of the Match accolades.
Harvey Elliott during an Aston Villa game
Elliott can make only two more appearances for Aston Villa before the club is obliged to buy him for around £35million(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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Klopp was manager at Anfield when Elliott first arrived from Craven Cottage in 2019. Elliott has since racked up 149 appearances for Liverpool before even reaching his 23rd birthday but is now staring at a potentially barren four-month spell, likely to be spent predominantly on the bench.
Considering the conditions of his Villa loan deal, it appeared Slot was comfortable letting Elliott leave once the terms of his contract were fulfilled. However, an awkward reunion might be on the cards this summer, a scenario that could have been sidestepped if Klopp had had his way.