Football moves at a frightening pace, but the shifting fortunes of Harvey Elliott over the last twelve months serve as a stark reminder of just how brutal life at the top can be for a footballer.
It wasn’t that long ago that the 23-year-old was viewed as an indispensable piece of Liverpool’s future. Under Jurgen Klopp, Elliott was a trusted player, racking up 43 and 46 appearances in consecutive seasons, showing the kind of technical quality and fearless attitude that quickly endeared him to the Anfield faithful.
Then came the transition. When former head coach Arne Slot arrived in the summer of 2024, the landscape changed overnight. Opportunities became scarce, resulting in just 28 appearances under the Dutchman. While Liverpool marched on to secure the Premier League title, Elliott was left looking from the outside in.
A loan move to Aston Villa in September 2025 was supposed to breathe life back into his career. It included an obligation-to-buy clause if he made 10 Premier League appearances. Instead, it turned into a nightmare.
Elliott featured just nine times for Unai Emery’s side, registering a maximum 277 minutes across all competitions, and spent most of the season completely frozen out of the match-day squad.
Now, with reports from journalist Danny Gallagher suggesting Liverpool have looked into the logistics of using Elliott as a makeweight in a £70 million partial swap deal for Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, Elliott finds himself at a massive career crossroads.
But shipping him out to Selhurst Park right now would be a mistake. Harvey Elliott deserves the time to prove his worth to Liverpool under new head coach Andoni Iraola.
While senior journalists like Pete O’Rourke report that Liverpool’s interest in Wharton has faded recently with Iraola prioritising a new right-winger over the Palace midfielder the fact that Elliott’s name was on the chopping block at all is telling.
Yet, the arrival of Iraola offers Elliott a lifeline that he simply must grasp. Pre-season training at the AXA Training Centre has begun, and because Elliott wasn’t involved in the World Cup, he was among the very first to report for duty on Tuesday (July 7th) alongside the likes of Stefan Bajcetic, Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike, Wataru Endo, and Giovanni Leoni.
Out on the pitch ?
Check out our gallery of today's preparatory work:
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 7, 2026
Crucially, Iraola has made it clear that every single member of the squad has been handed a clean slate. In his first interview since taking charge, the Spaniard laid out a philosophy that should give Elliott immense encouragement:
“We’ve analyzed Liverpool a lot – possible weaknesses, the strengths,” Iraola said. “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.”
If Iraola is true to his word and genuinely values the tools already in the building, rushing Elliott out the door makes little tactical sense.
The perfect fit for the post-Salah era
With Mohamed Salah having bid an emotional farewell to Anfield in May, Liverpool have a massive hole to fill on the right side of their attack. While secondary targets are being assessed, the reality is that Elliott offers the exact multi-functional profile Iraola’s high-energy system demands.
He brings Premier League experience, an elite work ethic off the ball, and the versatility to operate either as a central attacking midfielder or as a left-footed creator cutting inside from the right wing. In terms of covering squad depth during a massive transition period, keeping him is a no-brainer.
Harvey Elliott getting ready for the pre season ?
Let's hope he can revive his Liverpool career?
pic.twitter.com/DxtsKRghA1 https://t.co/LyLF2zvFuW
— Living Liverpool (@Livin_Liverpool) July 5, 2026
History also shows that players on the fringes of elite clubs can explode when given the right environment. We saw Conor Gallagher thrive at Crystal Palace after being left on the periphery at Chelsea.
Going the other way, Nathaniel Clyne was an ever-present figure at full-back for Liverpool before losing his place and eventually finding a home at Palace. Elliott has that same point-to-prove hunger.
The fans want him to succeed, too. His attitude has never been questioned, and his deep affection for the club is completely genuine. As Elliott himself noted back in 2022:
“There’s no better place to be [than Liverpool]. It feels like my second home, to say the least, and every time I come here, it’s always a buzz, whether it was a fan, or as a player now. It gets better and better every time you see it.”
To sell a player with that level of connection to the shirt, without giving the new manager a proper look at him in pre-season, would be incredibly short-sighted.
Live4Liverpool Verdict
It would be incredibly harsh to cast Harvey Elliott aside before Andoni Iraola has even managed a single friendly match. Yes, the loan spell at Aston Villa was a massive disappointment, but form is temporary and Elliott’s underlying talent hasn’t vanished.
With Salah gone, Liverpool lack proven, creative options on the right flank who understand the unique pressure of playing for this club. Elliott loves Liverpool, possesses a brilliant relationship with the fanbase, and has thrived under a high-intensity manager like Klopp before
Give the lad his pre-season, let Iraola run the rule over him, and let Elliott prove he still has a massive role to play in this new Anfield era.