Harvey Elliott’s long-term future at Liverpool has been the subject of plenty of speculation following a frustrating campaign away from Anfield.
The talented midfielder has been linked with another move this summer, but it appears a final decision over his future may not be rushed just yet.
The 22-year-old endured a disappointing spell at Aston Villa last season after joining Unai Emery’s side in search of regular game-time.
Opportunities proved hard to come by, with reports suggesting Villa deliberately limited Elliott’s appearances to avoid activating an obligation-to-buy clause that would have been triggered had he featured more than 10 times.
As a result, Elliott has now returned to Merseyside with his future uncertain.
Fortunately, Elliott is set to be handed the opportunity to impress new Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola during pre-season before any calls are made over whether he remains at the club or heads out on loan again.
Speaking on Anfield Index’s Media Matters podcast, Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele said: “The word is just always ‘there’s a clean slate this summer.'”
“We don’t know what the manager wants, the manager’s going to have the chance to assess them. So I think in terms of a lot of the outgoings, whether that’s on loan or permanent, they’re going to be later in the window.”
“I think Iraola’s going to want to have a look at Harvey Elliott. From what I’ve heard, he’s willing to give him a chance on the tour and then we’ll go from there.”
That approach makes perfect sense from Liverpool’s perspective. Elliott remains one of the club’s most technically gifted young players despite finding consistent starts difficult to come by in recent seasons.
Having joined from Fulham in 2019, he has already amassed over 100 senior appearance for the Reds and has regularly demonstrated his quality in both midfield and attacking areas.
A strong pre-season could yet convince Iraola that Elliott deserves another opportunity at the club, but it could also strengthen Liverpool’s position should they eventually decide that another loan or permanent transfer away is the best outcome later in the transfer window.