REUTERS/Tony O Brien
After a torrid time at Aston Villa last season, Harvey Elliott has now been sent out on loan by Liverpool again. This time, he's at Valencia, and eye-opening reports have already emerged about how he is getting on in Spain.
The English midfielder played just nine times for Unai Emery in 2025/26. The Villa coach stopped playing him because he did not want to trigger the 10-game clause, which would turn the loan into a permanent transfer.
As a result, Elliott played just once in the Premier League in 2026 before ending up back at Liverpool over the summer. However, Andoni Iraola didn't seem to have big plans for the 23-year-old in 2026/27, and consequently shipped him out on another loan.
Elliott's Troubled Start to Life at Valencia
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Hoping to get his career back on track, Elliott opted to move to Spain for the season. In September, he accepted things had been 'tricky' but seemed optimistic, telling the press:
"I had a few calls with Carlos Corberan, in which we talked about my objectives and what he expected of me as a player. The start of the season has been tricky, but there’s still a long way to go.”
However, just 10 days later, Corberan was sacked. Suddenly, the man Elliott had agreed to work with for the season was no longer going to be in charge. As such, the Englishman is now stuck with a team who are sitting 19th in La Liga heading into the international break, having lost five of their opening seven matches.
Adding to his concerns, the Liverpool loanee has not yet been able to nail down regular minutes for his new club, having played just three times. None of those appearances have been starts either, meaning he's totalled only 88 minutes of playing time.
Alejandro Garnacho pictured on the substitutes bench for Aston Villa vs Hull City
Alejandro Garnacho pictured on the substitutes bench for Aston Villa vs Hull City
Spanish Media Call Out Elliott For Being Overweight
Amid all this, the Spanish media don't seem to be impressed. It's not lost on them that Valencia are paying the majority of his wages. And with Elliott the team's third-highest earner, pressure is on the 23-year-old to perform.
Spanish newspaper Marca have been damning with their assessment, reporting that he is well above his ‘optimal playing weight’. The article stated:
"He's not shining because he's out of shape. He's well overweight for his physique . And now is the time to get fit."
With a hint of hope, it did note that this international break is at least a chance to get fit: "This is practically a preseason tailored for him. He's one of those who should be taking full advantage of a schedule like this one, with three weeks without football."
The article went on to speak about his high wages, which are a 'considerable sum', before concluding: "He needs to reach his ideal weight to truly become Harvey Elliott."
It's interesting to note that there were some who also felt as though he looked a little overweight when returning to Liverpool for pre-season over the past summer.