Wolves could accelerate a move for a Liverpool star following a new Bayer Leverkusen development.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are in the market for a new attacking midfielder following Matheus Cunha’s record £62.5 million exit to Manchester United.
The Old Gold are considering a host of targets and have had concrete links with Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott, who is expected to leave Anfield this summer. Speculation has died down a little regarding Elliott as much of the talk was several weeks ago, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a transfer that’s dead in the water.
Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen could have a say in Wolves’ chances of signing Elliott as they have not only been linked with a move for the player themselves, but they’re currently in negotiations with Liverpool over a separate midfield transfer.
Leverkusen are in advanced talks over selling star man Florian Wirtz to the Reds in a deal that could reportedly be worth in excess of €130 million. If Wirtz does join Liverpool, then Elliott would be even more surplus to requirements than he already is, opening a clear route to an exit. As Bayer were keen on Elliott, it was discussed whether including him in a player-plus-cash deal would work, but, in a huge boost for Wolves, that’s now been ruled out.
Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg claims a move for Elliott to Leverkusen is no longer under any consideration whatsoever. The German club originally proposed the idea that Elliott, Jarrel Quansah or both could be included in the Wirtz deal but that’s now been ditched.
There are bound to be other clubs interested in Elliott as well as Wolves but Leverkusen no longer being in the race opens up a decent path for a bid to sign him. Liverpool reportedly want £50 million, which is rather steep, but Wolves could lowball that in an attempt to seek a compromise. It could be the perfect time to pounce.
Harvey Elliot hints at potential Liverpool exit
During Jurgen Klopp’s final season at Liverpool, Elliott enjoyed regular game time as he made 53 appearances across all competitions. The 22-year-old took a big step closer to becoming a first-team regular after starting 11 league matches and almost every game in the Europa League, also showcasing productivity with four goals and 14 assists.
He found the season just gone much more difficult, however, as he made just 28 appearances across all competitions and only made one start in the Premier League under new manager Arne Slot. Merely 360 minutes in the top flight were racked up, not helped by a lengthy injury at the start of the campaign.
Despite frustrations over game time, Elliott has said that - in an ideal world - he’d like to remain at Liverpool for the rest of his career. The former Fulham man won’t completely rule out a transfer away, however, as he recognises he needs to do what is best for his progression.
“I think it's been a lot more difficult for me because I obviously had that injury at the start,” said Elliott in The Echo last month. “But at the same time, you need to be here for the team, work as hard as you can and when the opportunities come on the pitch.
"A lot of times this season it's almost been [coming on] when we've been losing or drawing, so it is about trying to change the game, try and turn it around and have a positive impact. I hope that I can push on. This is my team, I am committed to them and it's just a situation that is always going to have a lot of talk.
“I just need to think about what is best for my future, my career and as much as I want it to be here you never know what is going to happen around the corner. If I had it my way, that would be here, I would play each and every game here and stay here for the rest of my career but it all depends on managers, the people above and you don't know what could happen,” Elliott said.
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