Harvey Elliott's time at Liverpool could be coming to an end, though he'll first look to curry favour with new boss Andoni Iraola ahead of any potential transfer
Aston Villa's Harvey Elliott arrives for the Premier League match between Sunderland and Aston Villa at Stadium of Light
Harvey Elliott is assessing his options ahead of a potential Liverpool exit this summer(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
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Harvey Elliott's football future is at a crossroads ahead of a potential Liverpool exit this summer. And the winger has a 'deadline' in mind for when he needs to see some change under Andoni Iraola before committing to a move away.
Last season had the potential to be transformative for Elliott after he sealed a season-long loan to Aston Villa. The 23-year-old was seemingly content with the idea of leaving Liverpool, even then, given that the agreement included an obligatory purchase clause when he made 10 appearances.
The move failed to bear fruit, however, as Villa decided they weren't interested in buying what the Reds were selling. As such, Elliott found himself in an impossible situation and made only nine appearances for Unai Emery's side, with only four of those taking place between January and May.
A new era has begun at Anfield now, though, giving Elliott and numerous other players the chance to start afresh. As such, The Athletic has reported the midfielder will wait until the new campaign start date is much closer before making a call on whether he needs to leave.
For his part, former Bournemouth boss Iraola is committed to the idea of allowing every player their chance to impress. But while others are away at World Cup 2026, Elliott has a rare chance to give his new manager a more intimate look at what he has to offer.
"We've analysed Liverpool a lot. Possible weaknesses, the strengths," Iraola said earlier this summer. "I think we have a very good squad. I think there is still work to do, like normally in every club in this moment of the season. But right now, for me the thing is to value especially the players that we have right now in the squad.
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Andoni Iraola, Manager of AFC Bournemouth, applauds the fans after the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth at the City Ground
Andoni Iraola has indicated every player at Liverpool will be viewed as a new signing following his arrival(Image: Matthew Lewis, Getty Images)
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"For me, and I will tell them, [they] are all new signings. For me, you are all new signings, and I think we have a lot of quality in our squad, and [I'm] really looking forward to working with them."
Elliott enjoyed a fruitful first campaign under Arne Slot and contributed a joint-career high of five Premier League goals en route to the title. However, a flurry of summer signings in 2025 apparently convinced the player his search for first-team minutes was better served elsewhere.
That may still end up being the case come the end of this summer transfer window. Liverpool have less than two weeks to go before reuniting for pre-season and Iraola may decide the winger is a more prominent part of his plans than previous administrations.
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It's good news for Liverpool that certain stars area already done with their World Cup commitments. Germany's shock exit at the hands of Paraguay means Florian Wirtz will be available sooner after a holiday, while Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch and Virgil van Dijk are also out after the Netherlands lost to Morocco.
Still, Elliott will have ample opportunity to prove his mettle in the coming weeks before any final call is made on his future. However, he'll be eager to repeat last season's mistakes after an unfortunate contract situation all but robbed him of a year's worth of progress.
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