Harvey Elliott‘s loan spell at Aston Villa hasn’t worked out, with Liverpool’s Premier League rivals reportedly happy to end it prematurely.
The 22-year-old struggled to be a regular under Arne Slot last season, so he decided a move away was best for his development, with a loan-to-buy agreement reached between the two clubs.
But unfortunately for Elliott, his playing time at Villa has been even more limited, with only 97 minutes of league action in the opening 18 games.
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According to The Athletic, the Midlands outfit “hope a new agreement can be reached” with Liverpool, in terms of ending his loan stint early.
Villa would have to pay the Reds to do this, and the champions don’t have a recall clause in Elliott’s contract, which is why they “hope” a fresh agreement can be reached.
The report claims that the midfielder is experiencing “great disappointment and unhappiness” about how things have panned out, amid competition with Liverpool-linked Morgan Rogers in the No. 10 role.
It is stated that the situation surrounding a terminated loan spell will “not necessarily be straightforward,” though.
Elliott’s summer move to Villa Park was on an initial loan deal that would trigger a permanent move once he reached 10 appearances, but he has made only five and has not been in a league squad in any of the last 10.
Does Elliott have a role to play for Liverpool this season?
Opinion was split when Elliott was initially loaned out to Villa in the summer, with some perplexed at Slot’s lack of faith in him.
For that reason, seeing him return to Liverpool next month would be a fairly popular outcome, especially at a time when the Reds’ attacking options feel limited.
Elliott’s versatility allows him to shine in both attacking midfield and wide roles, and while he doesn’t have the pace to excel as a winger, he can still be a useful option there.
With Mohamed Salah away at the Africa Cup of Nations and Cody Gakpo only gradually returning to full fitness, Liverpool are crying out for an extra body in that area.
Elliott can’t move to another Premier League or European team next month, having already played for the Reds and Villa this season, and a move to the MLS is unlikely to appeal.
So a return to Liverpool feels like the best outcome for all parties, before a decision is made about a potential permanent Anfield exit next summer.
At that point, he will only have one year remaining on his current Reds deal.
Having more depth is no bad thing, and while Slot hasn’t shown much faith in Elliott, he surely wouldn’t complain about having him around for the second half of the season.