Harvey Elliott has made just eight appearances for Aston Villa and they are reluctant to purchase the attacking midfielder for £35 million.
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire says that Aston Villa’s treatment of Harvey Elliott is a decision based around money ‘overruling the human aspect’.
Elliott continues to remain in the wilderness at Villa Park during his season-long loan from Liverpool. The attacking midfielder was once again omitted from Unai Emery’s squad for their 3-1 FA Cup defeat by Newcastle United.
Elliott joined Villain the hope to play regular football, having been down the pecking order at Liverpool. He did not start one game en route the to the Reds claiming the Premier League title last season, while the £100 million arrival of Florian Wirtz meant that minutes would be even more difficult at Anfield.
But Villa boss Emery is reluctant to play Elliott. He has made eight appearances so far and his move will become permanent if he plays two more games. Villa would have to pay Liverpool a fee of £35 million.
Speaking on The Price of Football, Maguire - a lecturer at the University of Liverpool - said: “A lot of fans of many clubs said they've got a really good player and they have. But sometimes, your face doesn't fit, things don't work out. It comes down to the fact that it's a relationship. We have all had some relationships that have worked out far better than others.
“That is the way of the world. He didn't seem to fit into Unai Emery's plans. The terms of the loan deal were as such, if he plays 10 matches, the loan becomes an obligation to buy for a fee of £35 million.
“Emery said thanks but no thanks, that's not going to work out.But by all accounts, there was another clause in the contract that if Villa tried to send the player back to Liverpool because the relationship hadn't worked, then Villa had to pay compensation.
“Villa have worked out it's cheaper for them. This is where the football finance element is overruling the human aspect of this. It was cheaper for them to keep Harvey Elliott in a glorified bomb squad because he's not going to get access to first-team appearances because Villa don't want to pay the transfer fee. He is wasting a year of his career. It is a World Cup year, it is a short career and this is a human cost.”
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