Harvey Elliott joined Valencia from Liverpool on a season-long loan deal on transfer deadline day, but the Spanish team has no obligation or option to make the move permanent
Harvey Elliott recently completed a loan move to Valencia
Harvey Elliott recently completed a loan move to Valencia(Image: Getty Images)
Valencia's interim head coach, Oscar Sanchez, has explained his decision to give 18-year-old midfielder Aaron Mayol his senior debut.
That decision could be viewed as a wake-up call for Harvey Elliott, who recently joined Valencia on a season-long loan deal from Liverpool. As teenage sensation Mayol flourished during the 1-0 victory at Alaves on Tuesday, Elliott watched on from the bench.
The Englishman signed for Valencia in pursuit of first-team action, but he's played just 64 minutes of La Liga soccer this season. Elliott may find it difficult to break into Valencia's starting XI under Sanchez, who recently replaced Carlos Corberan in the dugout.
Mayol started and finished Tuesday's game. When asked why he selected the teenager, Sanchez said: "His performance is what led me to pick him. His ability. I know him well.
"I didn’t need to tell him much. I told him, 'You know what I want from you. Go in, enjoy yourself, compete, and your teammates will help you.' Now we need to be patient and give him continuity. He has to keep that desire to improve."
Elliott must now do everything he can to impress Sanchez with his "performance" in training if he's going to break into Valencia's starting XI like Mayol.
Elliott failed to get on the pitch during Valencia's most recent game
Elliott failed to get on the pitch during Valencia's most recent game(Image: Getty Images)
The 23-year-old is trying to get his career back on track after a nightmare loan spell at Aston Villa last season. Although Elliott picked up a Europa League winner's medal, he made just four Premier League appearances after being overlooked by boss Unai Emery.
Elliott returned to Anfield during the summer, and it was initially unclear whether he would remain part of Andoni Iraola's squad for this season. Yet he eventually joined Valencia on deadline day, with no option or obligation to make the transfer permanent.
"I wanted the opportunity to come here, play regularly and experience a different league," said Elliott after completing the move.
"I'm very grateful to Valencia for giving me that opportunity. I feel ready to get started, but ultimately, it's down to the coach whether he wants to put me in."
Things haven't gone to plan since that deal was struck. Valencia was hammered 5-0 by Barcelona on his debut before losing 1-0 to Sevilla in his second game.
The situation deteriorated when Corberan and Valencia's chief executive of soccer, Ron Gourlay, were fired after a poor start to the campaign. That means the men who brought Elliott to Valencia are no longer employed by the club.
Elliott is now having to impress a new coach, Sanchez, to get first-team action. It appears he's not done enough just yet, failing to even make a substitute appearance during the win against Alavaes.
But the selection of Mayol speaks volumes. If Elliott can flourish in training, he might just get the chance to become a star in Spain.