Harvey Elliott was left out of the Liverpool matchday squad against Newcastle this weekend, with the attacking midfielder needing a move before the September 1 deadline
Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott during a Liverpool training session
Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott during a Liverpool training session(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
In a way, Liverpool's opening weekend draw with Newcastle at St. James' Park was characterized by the things that weren't there, rather than those that were.
The ineffective Alexander Isak might as well not have been, and you could have been forgiven for forgetting that he was, had it not been for the relentless jeering and abuse that was thrown his way from the stands.
Meanwhile, the space in the midfield that Liverpool left for Newcastle to vacate led to both goals that beat Alisson Becker. The lack of a defensively-minded player in those areas was once again a major talking point.
Take a look at the Liverpool bench and a couple of players were not present, either. Harvey Elliott, for instance, who spent last season at Aston Villa, was not named in the matchday squad, and neither was Federico Chiesa.
Elliott remains a favorite among Liverpool fans. During the recent friendly against AS Monaco at Anfield, one of the biggest cheers of the day was for him emerging from the bench.
Unfortunately, though, that game continued a familiar pattern: Elliott didn't leave much of a mark on proceedings. All summer, he has looked like a man lacking confidence.
Harvey Elliott is back at Liverpool after spending last season on loan with Aston Villa
Harvey Elliott is back at Liverpool after spending last season on loan with Aston Villa(Image: Photo by Michael Miller/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
In a way, it is little wonder. Last season, Unai Emery decided almost immediately that he didn't want to sign Elliott on a permanent basis for $47 million (£35 million), and so he didn't play him.
Had Elliott reached 10 appearances, he would have triggered the buy clause negotiated in the loan deal. Aston Villa therefore let him rot on the sidelines for most of the campaign.
Though Elliott, by all accounts, trained well throughout and returned to Liverpool desperate to make an impression, spotting an opportunity with a change in head coach, it simply hasn't panned out that way.
"I'm still wanting to be selfish, doing what's right for me," Elliott said during the US tour. "Whether that's staying here and fighting for my place or potentially going elsewhere, I'm still unsure at the moment until I get some more intel."
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But at this stage, with little more than a week remaining in the transfer market, it seems increasingly likely that a move elsewhere would be the right next step.
Elliott only has one year left on his Liverpool contract, but even as a back-up for Florian Wirtz, it doesn't appear that there is a real route to minutes at Anfield. Without Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai is likely to move forward, with Alexis Mac Allister or Trey Nyoni filling in for him deeper.
At the same time, out wide, Elliott simply doesn't have the required pace to thrive, even if there is currently a vacancy that needs filling on the right-hand side.
And a lot like Curtis Jones, who has joined Inter Milan, it feels like Elliott could thrive even more than he has at his Liverpool peak in a league less physical. One thing is certain: he can't sit through another season like the last one.