Sky Sports confirms an unexpected pre-season lifeline for Harvey Elliott at Anfield, but Crystal Palace are monitoring closely as Michael Edwards faces a massive contract decision.
Liverpool are on the cusp of a brand-new era under Andoni Iraola, and it looks like the slate is being wiped completely clean for a few forgotten faces.
Iraola has made it clear he wants to give everyone a fresh start during his first pre-season at Anfield. The Basque boss takes over the reins from Arne Slot in a matter of days, and he’ll be straight down to work on the training pitch.
Because the FIFA World Cup is going to deplete the squad early on, a few fringe players are getting an unexpected lifeline to prove their worth before Iraola and sporting director Richard Hughes make any brutal calls on their futures.
And right at the front of that queue is Harvey Elliott.
The £35m Villa Park shambles
In a parallel universe, the 23-year-old would probably be an Aston Villa player by now. The plan was simple enough: move to Villa Park on loan, hit the ground running, and complete a permanent £35m switch.
Instead, the whole thing turned into an absolute disaster. It became glaringly obvious early on that Unai Emery had no intention of triggering that permanent fee. Villa were terrified of getting stuck with a £35m bill, which would have automatically kicked in if Elliott started just 10 Premier League matches.
As a result, Emery froze him out completely. It was a total shambles from day one, leaving a talented young player stuck in the lurch. Elliott essentially wasted an entire year of his footballing life, playing a miserable 284 minutes of football all season. He’s back at Anfield now, but he’s entering the final year of his contract.
London calling as fresh interest emerges
If he can’t convince his new manager over the next few weeks whether that’s out wide or in the middle he could be out the door for good.
According to a fresh report from Sky Sports News, Crystal Palace are keeping a very close eye on things as part of their summer rebuild under new boss Pierre Sage, who just guided them to Europa Conference League glory.
Sky Sports‘ Lyall Thomas and Amar Mehta reported:
“Palace are also understood to be monitoring Harvey Elliott’s situation at Liverpool.”
“Elliott will be given the chance to stake his claim in the Liverpool squad under new head coach Andoni Iraola.”
Palace are spinning a lot of plates at the moment, with Lens midfielder Mamadou Sangare and Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell also on their radar, but Elliott is a seriously tempting option.
Crystal Palace understood to be monitoring Harvey Elliott, who will be given the chance to stake his claim at Liverpool under Andoni Iraola.
Palace remain interested in Charlie Cresswell and Mamadou Sangare.
With @SkySportsLyall for @SkySportsNews https://t.co/EHVBg7nx1T pic.twitter.com/bneubZnKQh
— Amar Mehta (@Amarjournalist_) June 29, 2026
It’s easy to forget Elliott arrived at Anfield as a teenager all the way back in 2019, fresh off the Champions League win in Madrid. He’s got two Premier League winner’s medals in his drawer, but he’s never truly managed to nail down a permanent spot in the starting XI. Under Arne Slot, he was firmly on the periphery and didn’t start a single league game before the title was wrapped up in 2024/25.
But Iraola’s arrival changes the dynamic. Elliott has been putting in the hard yards on Merseyside on his own to get sharp for pre-season. With so many senior stars away on international duty, he’s going to get plenty of minutes early on.
Harvey Elliot working hard before returning to Liverpool for Pre-season?? pic.twitter.com/ujTUJHZgrJ
— Andoni Iraola’s Reds (@ScouseRed0151) June 29, 2026
Whether his game suits Iraola is the big question. He doesn’t really have the lightning pace or explosive power Iraola usually looks for in his wide players. But as a creative, pressing alternative to Florian Wirtz in the number ten role? That could work. Don’t forget, he’s already got those intense counter-pressing triggers hardwired into him from his time under Jurgen Klopp.
He’s a boyhood Red who wants nothing more than to make it at Anfield. But he’s also realistic. If this audition goes badly, a move back down south is probably on the cards.
Live4Liverpool Verdict
You have to feel for Harvey Elliott. What happened to him at Villa was incredibly harsh having a year of your career derailed because two clubs are playing politics over a contract clause is a tough pill to swallow.
But football doesn’t wait around, and Iraola’s arrival might actually be a blessing in disguise. He might not have the raw pace to play on the wing in this new system, but his work rate is exactly what the new boss demands.
With only a year left on his deal, this pre-season is a straight-up trial. If he can show he’s capable of pushing and covering for Florian Wirtz through the middle, Richard Hughes should keep him around. You don’t casually discard a homegrown lad who loves the club and will run himself into the ground for the badge.