Harvey Elliott To Return To Liverpool In January After Limited Aston Villa Loan

‎Unai Emery has effectively announced that Harvey Elliott will rejoin Liverpool during the January transfer window.

‎Elliott moved to Aston Villa on a season-long loan on Deadline Day in the summer but has found first-team opportunities limited, with his most recent appearance coming as a late substitute against Feyenoord in the Europa League on October 2.

‎As per the conditions of the loan agreement, the deal will be made permanent for £35million if he makes ten Premier League appearances for Villa.

‎Elliott has made four Premier League appearances for Emery’s side, but hasn’t featured since being substituted at half-time in his only start against former club Fulham in late September.

‎Ahead of Villa’s Europa League meeting with Basel, Emery confirmed he has left Elliott out of the travelling squad.

‎He also revealed that the club will not activate the option to make the attacking midfielder’s move permanent.

‎”We are speaking with him and about his situation. He is not here with us,” Emery said during the pre-match press conference.

‎”First, my decision and also the situation. He is on loan playing with us, but he is not definitely adding to us with a permanent contract.

‎”Hopefully we can get the best for him and the best for us. I respect him as a player and as a person. He is training well, but we have one circumstance with him.

‎”Hopefully we can get a solution for him to try to play consistently and try to continue in his career with us or not.”

‎As FIFA rules prohibit players from appearing for more than two sides in one season, Elliott finds himself in an awkward position.

‎He cannot move to another club in January because he has already played for both Aston Villa and Liverpool this season, coming on as a late substitute in the win over Newcastle in August.

‎A return to Merseyside in the new year now appears the most likely outcome. Liverpool could bring him back as cover for Mohamed Salah during the Africa Cup of Nations.

‎If he stays at Villa, he risks a wasted second half of the campaign, with Emery unwilling to give him the six Premier League appearances needed for a permanent move.