Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola plans to give Harvey Elliott the chance to resurrect his Reds career during pre-season, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.
The 23-year-old has had a fairly miserable 12 months since last summer, with his season-long loan move to Aston Villa not working out at all in the end.
Elliott was a peripheral figure as the Villans won the Europa League, and the Midlands side decided not to complete the signing of him on a permanent basis.
The attacking midfielder is now back at Liverpool for pre-season, with big decisions to be made regarding his future, both from the club and the player himself.
But speaking to Football Insider, O’Rourke claimed that Elliott will be handed the opportunity to prove to Iraola that he is worth persevering with beyond the summer:
“It’s obviously a big few weeks coming up for Harvey Elliott, a chance to impress the new manager in pre-season, and if he does do that, he could win his place back in that Liverpool side.
“It’s a clean slate for everybody under a new manager in Andoni Iraola, and I think he’ll give him a chance to impress as well. I think Liverpool won’t be rushing him out the door.”
Does Harvey Elliott have a future at Liverpool?
This is a big decision for everyone to make, with Elliott reaching a point in his career where he is no longer just a promising youngster, and someone who needs to kick on.
It would be great to see him stay put at Liverpool, considering the technical ability he has, having been lauded by former Reds striker Neil Mellor in the past: “Great to see this lad back starting and influencing games . A special talent.”
Elliott will likely have to accept that he won’t be a starter every week if he does stay at Liverpool – ousting Florian Wirtz will be extremely tough – but if he is happy to have a squad role, keeping him is the best outcome.
The Reds need more depth in attacking areas, and Elliott can provide that, as well as consistency, and the fact that he grew up supporting the Reds is an added bonus.
Henry is an experienced football writer with a huge passion and knowledge of Liverpool.
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