Harvey Elliott is eyeing a move away from Anfield this summer following a dismal loan spell at Aston Villa this season, where his lack of game time has stunted his development
Will Jenkins
13:55, 16 May 2026Updated 13:56, 16 May 2026
Brajan Gruda's future could directly determine Harvey Elliott's next club
Brajan Gruda's future could directly determine Harvey Elliott's next club
RB Leipzig is reportedly exploring the option of signing Harvey Elliott, but it all depends on whether the German side can secure a deal with Brighton for loan star Brajan Gruda.
The 23-year-old moved to Aston Villa on a season-long loan last summer in search of a fresh start. During the previous campaign, in which Liverpool won the Premier League under Arne Slot, Elliott played just 360 minutes of league football.
After a bright start under Unai Emery, where Elliott scored Villa's first goal of the season in an EFL Cup clash against Brentford, things quickly began to unravel for the youngster.
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Aston Villa had a clause in the loan deal whereby, if Elliott made 10 Premier League appearances, the Midlands side would be obligated to buy the player for £35m.
For reasons Villa manager Emery has not disclosed, Elliott has been used sparingly in order to avoid triggering that clause.
Now confirmed to be returning to Anfield for pre-season, Elliott is reportedly considering a permanent exit. The good news for the 23-year-old is that there is interest from another club; the bad news is that it depends on another transfer deal.
According to BILD, RB Leipzig is interested in bringing Elliott to the Bundesliga. However, it is not as simple as that. Brajan Gruda, who is on loan at Leipzig from Brighton, has made a significant impact at the German club this season, helping them secure Champions League football.
Unai Emery has said the Harvey Elliott situation has been embarrassing
Unai Emery has said the Harvey Elliott situation has been embarrassing(Image: PA)
There is no option-to-buy clause in the midfielder's loan contract, so a gap could open up in Leipzig's midfield. However, there is a strong chance that the German side will attempt to sign Gruda permanently if Brighton are open to a deal.
If they are unable to reach an agreement with the Seagulls, Leipzig will reportedly turn their attention to Elliott. The report from BILD states that Leipzig are eyeing a deal for Elliott worth around £15m-£20m.
Emery spoke about Elliott's situation ahead of Villa's clash with Liverpool. He stated: "To now explain about the reason for this decision is very difficult, or it is easy, but it is not the moment. Of course, it is something embarrassing for everyone involved.
"My apologies for Harvey Elliott is every day in my mind. But it is [about] responsibility. We have our responsibility and Liverpool have their responsibility. It is something, as a human and as a person, how the season has gone has been difficult."
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Slot also spoke on the matter and said: "I think for him, for everyone, it didn’t work out as he wanted it, as we wanted it and probably also how Villa wanted it, because you usually sign a player or bring him in on loan to use him.
"That hasn’t happened a lot. That’s not for me to answer why that is. But of course, it’s never nice for a player not to make so many minutes, especially after the season he had with us, where he made – I assume – even more minutes with us than these 280."
The reason Leipzig could secure a cut-price deal is due to Elliott's current contract situation at Liverpool. The youngster's deal is set to expire at the end of the 2027 season.
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In terms of business, Slot and Liverpool may be more interested in selling him for a fee rather than risking losing him on a free transfer when his contract expires.