Harvey Elliott continues to be used sparingly by Arne Slot with various clubs interested in the Liverpool midfielder as this summer's transfer deadline day approaches
Harvey Elliott of Liverpool applauds the fans during the pre-season friendly match between Liverpool v Athletic Club Bilbao at Anfield
Harvey Elliott's Liverpool future is uncertain with Arne Slot only using him sparingly(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Harvey Elliott has been told to hold crunch talks with Arne Slot to get clarity over his Liverpool future. Ahead of transfer deadline day, former Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray pointed out the “elephant in the room” for Elliott is that his path into the first team is being blocked by Reds talisman Mohamed Salah.
Elliott’s future has been up in the air this summer, with the 22-year-old suffering from diminishing game time under Slot compared to his predecessor, Jurgen Klopp. He made just 18 Premier League appearances last season during Slot’s maiden title-winning season, primarily off the bench, which confirmed his status as a substitute under the Dutchman.
That alerted other clubs to his potential availability, with both West Ham and RB Leipzig reportedly interested in acquiring the attacking midfielder’s services. The Bundesliga outfit are said to view him as a replacement for Xavi Simons, who joined Tottenham this week.
The ECHO understands Liverpool will resist any late offers for the playmaker this summer. Still, the player is unlikely to be happy with his lack of involvement so far this season.
He has played just seven minutes of football: six minutes in the Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace and only one minute against Newcastle, where he played a role in the build-up to Rio Ngumoha’s last-gasp winner.
Mowbray, who briefly managed Elliott during his loan spell at Blackburn in 2020/21, has no doubts over the quality the player possesses. As such, the 61-year-old believes Elliott needs to be playing regular football at Liverpool; otherwise, he should tell Slot he wants a move away.
Asked whether the winger should leave on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Mowbray said: “If I was going to advise Harvey, I would say he needs to talk to his manager. I think it’s a waste of talent, sitting on the bench. I watched the game against Newcastle and I saw he came on right at the death there.
“He’s an amazing talent. He’s got unbelievable quality. He’s one of these lads that doesn’t have to look at the ball, he knows what he’s doing - the ball’s a part of him. It’s so easy for him. He impacts the game every time he comes onto the pitch.”
Mowbray highlighted Elliott's biggest issue, adding: “The problem for him is that his best position is probably off the right in the attacking area, which is also Mo Salah’s best position. So there’s a huge elephant in the room for him, really. He might be thinking, ‘How long is Salah going to stay?’
Mohamed Salah and Harvey Elliott of Liverpool look on, during the warm up prior to the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion FC and Liverpool FC at Amex Stadium on May 19, 2025 in Brighton, England
Harvey Elliott is unfortunate to have to compete with Mohamed Salah(Image: Getty)
“He’s got a personality as well. I think he’s got a winning mentality. It’s a big, big call for him, what’s next. The years start rolling by and it’s okay being a bit-part player at Liverpool but… maybe he’s waiting for Salah to move on, I don’t know.”
Another former Premier League boss, Sam Allardyce, interjected: “He should know whether the manager fancies him or not. It’s not difficult. He needs to balance out how much he played for Jurgen Klopp and how much he’s going to play for Slot.
“If being a squad player’s good enough for him and he wants to stay at Liverpool, fine. If it’s not good enough for him, the games he’s going to play between now and the January transfer window should tell him whether he should be staying at Liverpool or whether he should leave.”
Elliott earlier this summer played a starring role in the England U-21s, winning the European Championship again, earning a player of the tournament honour.
Arne Slot has made his stance on Harvey Elliott clear amid new transfer speculation
Elliott could be set for showdown talks with Slot(Image: Getty Images)
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He has since been open about his status at Liverpool, telling The Anfield Wrap while on tour in Asia: "If I had it my way I would be here for the rest of my career, it's as simple as that.
"I love everything about the club, but at the same time I kind of need to be selfish and see what's best for me. I have big ambitions. I want to get in the World Cup squad. I want to keep being successful as a player. It's something I still need to review."
A move to RB Leipzig would reunite Elliott with former Liverpool boss Klopp, who is now Red Bull's head of global football. After leaving Liverpool last summer, Klopp admitted his only regret from his final season was not giving Elliott more game time, stating: "But if I regret one thing a little bit, it's that Harvey didn't play often enough maybe.
"Because in a very important, intense period – January, a lot of injuries - he played really good. He was probably our best player, right wing, right midfield, all these kinds of things."