Harvey Elliott is currently on loan and unused at Aston Villa, but FIFA rules make it difficult for him to move elsewhere for regular football this season.
When Elliott went on loan to Villa in the summer, with an obligation to buy for £35 million if he made 10 appearances, it was seen as a good move for all.
However, three months into his Villa career, he has made just five appearances and been included in none of their last five Premier League matchday squads.
While manager Unai Emery has insisted this is purely performance-based, BBC Sport now report: “It appears Villa do not want to spend the money.
“Profit and sustainability concerns come into consideration, while there have been suggestions they feel Elliott has not brought the quality they expected.”
Talks are expected over the player’s future, with Elliott stuck at a club that apparently don’t want to spend on him, so will refuse to give him minutes.
What next for Harvey Elliott?
If Elliott were to return to Anfield, Liverpool would likely want some form of compensation from Villa, having factored in his transfer fee and removed wages to next summer’s finances.
The most likely scenario is that he would play for Liverpool.
Because he has already played for the Reds and Villa this season, FIFA rules stipulate he can’t feature for another club this season.
However, he could circumvent this by playing in a league, such as the MLS, that runs on a different calendar than the European August-to-May schedule.
It would surely benefit him and Liverpool more for him to remain on Merseyside and reintegrate him, whether that be with a view to keeping him or simply rebuilding his value ahead of the transfer window.
RB Leipzig were keen on the 22-year-old in the summer, but the £17.3m they offered was rightly deemed derisory.
As for the chances of him staying at Villa beyond January? It seems unlikely with neither party happy. It will take negotiations and perhaps a sacrifice from the player to relieve the situation.
Above all, Elliott will want to play football with the World Cup approaching. However, it is unlikely that playing well in the MLS or another league not on the European calendar would increase his chances of a place in the England squad.
