Of all the mistakes and moments of poor judgement from Liverpool this season – and there have been plenty – the treatment of Harvey Elliott is up there with the most farcical.
Just 12 months ago, the 23-year-old was concluding a title-winning season with the Reds, having made 28 appearances, 18 of which in the Premier League and five in the Champions League.
It had been a testing season under new manager Arne Slot, though as ever sprinkled with moments of promise. Five goals in all competitions, including the huge smash-and-grab winner away to PSG, and three assists overall.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Monday, August 4, 2025: Liverpool's Harvey Elliott celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Athletic Bilbao at Anfield. Liverpool won 4-1. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Not standout numbers by any means, but for a young player competing against elite midfielders for a place in what would ultimately go on to be a title-winning team, respectable.
And so, what happened next became the mother of all poor planning and nonsense. The triggering of a chain of events which has benefitted absolutely nobody and left one of English football’s hottest prospects out of favour, out of form and seemingly entirely out of options.
Aston Villa’s shameless side-track
Aston Villa's Harvey Elliott (right) celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Carabao Cup third round match at the Gtech Community Stadium, London. Picture date: Tuesday September 16, 2025.
What we have witnessed over the past 12 months has been the needless annexation of a career, a year of censorship and stunted progression. And all for what? To satisfy the balance books, or to massage the egos of deal-makers who have failed to deliver on their promises?
Elliott’s move to Aston Villa has been an unmitigated disaster and both teams involved are equally responsible. Villa for taking it on, and Liverpool for failing to see sense and provide a remedy.
On September 1, 2025, with Deadline Day fever hanging heavy in the air, Villa confirmed to the sporting world they were “delighted” to announce the signing of Elliott from Liverpool.
“The 22-year-old joins the club on an initial season-long loan deal with an obligation to buy conditional on appearances,” read the opening line of the statement on Villa’s official website, before reeling off a series of impressive honours already won by Elliott during his fledgling career to date.
Liverpool 2024/25 Vs. Aston Villa 2025/26
28 Appearances 9
6 Starts 3
821 Minutes Played 277
5 Goals Scored 1
The lead image of Elliott, flanked either side by a beaming Unai Emery and sporting director Monchi, couldn’t have been more misleading. Happy families doomed for disaster.
Villa had clinched a £35 million obligation agreement with the Reds, widely viewed as a stellar piece of business for a rising talent heavily praised by former boss Jurgen Klopp.
Elliott had all the hallmarks of a £50m+ footballer, and Villa’s impressive negotiating had sealed the breathing space of bringing such a talent on board without having to part with any funds for 12 months.
It could, and should, have made sense all ends up.
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND - Monday, August 25, 2025: Liverpool's Harvey Elliott on the pitch before the FA Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Liverpool FC at St James' Park. Liverpool won 3-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“
“I know we are damaging him… It can change for him, in case Liverpool take off this clause. If they don’t want to, OK.”
Unai Emery
Unai Emery
Unai Emery speaking on Harvey Elliott‘s contract situation leaving him on the sidelines in February.
Villa got a highly sought after footballer, Liverpool made yet another sale and trimmed the squad, both teams keeping their finances neatly in check. And so for Villa to so drastically pull the plug and leave Elliott high and dry was nothing short of circus antics.
Despite zero internal accounts surfacing of Elliott underperforming, showing poor behaviour or having any form of disagreement with his new manager, Emery and/or the Villa hierarchy decided the move would not be going ahead.
Elliott would therefore not be fielded the required number of times to trigger the £35m transfer, 10 in total in the Premier League as it would turn out. Meanwhile, Liverpool insisted no recall clause had been built into the agreement.
While Elliott has sat back and watched the likes of Jadon Sancho afforded the chance to get his career back on track at Villa Park, the football world has passed him by. A few weeks out of Premier League football is a long time during the developmental phase, let alone several months.
Harvey Elliott England Under-21s (Martin Rickett/PA)
Elliott has made five Premier League appearances this season, one of them being in a Liverpool shirt against Newcastle at the end of August. He hasn’t featured for Villa in the league since getting a 13-minute run-out against Brentford at the start of February.
Villa have booked a place in the Europa League final, yet Elliott has made just four appearances in said competition, totalling just 101 minutes collectively.
This is a footballer who was the Player of the Tournament last summer at the U21 European Championships. A breakout campaign has completely failed to materialise, but Liverpool can’t merely stand pointing the finger.
Liverpool egos have got this all wrong
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Monday, August 4, 2025: Liverpool's Harvey Elliott celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Athletic Bilbao at Anfield. Liverpool won 4-1. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
For a club renowned for operating with such professionalism and slick know-how in the transfer market, Liverpool’s failure to act upon this mess has been eye-opening.
It is widely understood that discussions have taken place with Villa numerous times this season regarding Elliott’s situation, with communication passed to FSG that Villa would not be going ahead with the deal.
Such backtracking would no doubt put a few noises out of joint in the Liverpool boardroom, but regardless of Villa’s poor conduct, the situation becomes immediately clear.
Elliott is not going to be picked, the obligation will not be triggered, Liverpool have a player they cannot sell and, importantly, one who is now also playing near zero competitive football.
Everything pointed to a recall.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 25, 2024: Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot (R) and Harvey Elliott after the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield. Liverpool won 2-0. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Leaving Elliott lampooned at Villa Park hasn’t in the slightest protected his value. Indeed, would there even be many suitors ready to hand Liverpool half of the £35m fee to take the player right now?
It can only be assumed that the Reds have decided Villa’s comeuppance would arrive in the form of having to pay Elliott’s salary for the remainder of the entire season, before his return to Merseyside.
Yet it has long since been established that Slot does not see the former Fulham prodigy in his future plans, and Elliott now enters the final 12 months of his Liverpool contract.
Whatever Liverpool feel they may have saved during this pathetic stalemate with Villa, they will almost certainly lose in the longer term.
Liverpool laid bare amid the Wirtz conundrum
LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 10, 2025: Liverpool's Florian Wirtz is replaced by substitute Harvey Elliott during the FA Community Shield match between Crystal Palace FC and Liverpool FC at Wembley Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
What should rankle supporters the most, however, is the fact that this has all played out during a season in which Liverpool were both ravaged by injuries and bang out of form for prolonged periods.
Midfielders have played at full-back repeatedly, and back-up personnel like Wataru Endo have come in to deputise and immediately been injured.
Midfielders have had to fill in at false 9 positions in the absence of a full forward line. So, is it really to be believed that Elliott could have played no part in lending a hand to prevent a sinking ship?
A boyhood Liverpool fan with bags of proven Premier League experience back in the senior XI and out on the pitch, contributing to the Reds’ hunt for European football and, ideally, playing himself back into form and premium value as a result.
pic.twitter.com/yHpX2tjxJa
— Poots (@Poots__) May 3, 2026
While last summer there did appear logic in the departure of Elliott, given the £115 million arrival of Florian Wirtz, the struggles of the Germany international would surely have been soothed by the former’s return.
Taking Elliott’s Liverpool stats from last season and Wirtz’s this season, both players appear evenly matched.
Wirtz prevails in dribbles and chance creation, as per the reason Liverpool shelled out so much money, but Elliott holds his own when it comes to final product, active defending and pass accuracy.
Florian Wirtz (25/26) Vs. Harvey Elliott (24/25)
31 Appearances 18
2.3 (Per 90) Chances Created 2.5 (Per 90)
84.5% Pass Accuracy 85.1%
5 / 4 Goals / Assists 1 / 2
5.98 (Per 90) Opp. Box Touches 5.75 (Per 90)
All along Liverpool had a young, energetic and multi-functional asset. Elliott could have filled in for Wirtz and released the former Leverkusen man to play the false 9 role, or likewise could’ve made up part of the midfield unit and been tasked with playing balls ahead, through the lines to Wirtz at No. 10.
In hindsight, such transfer miscalculation seems so very schoolboy, sanctioned at a similar time to the club opting to miss out on Marc Guehi despite dwindling numbers.
Whatever discussions the powers that be had during the January window, there seems to have been little logic to any of them.
On Friday night, both guilty parties, Villa and Liverpool, will thrash out 90 minutes of football while Elliott remains as in limbo as ever.
A completely wasted season in the short career of a talented footballer. Everyone involved should be ashamed.