Liverpool face big PROBLEM over £35m transfer mistake

Liverpool bundled Harvey Elliott out of the Anfield exit door on transfer deadline day.

The club’s main focus was of course on finalising a British-record deal for Alexander Isak. Elliott’s departure was perhaps a little overlooked amid the £125m transfer for Isak going through.

As it transpired the deal is a mess. It isn’t working out for Liverpool, for Aston Villa who he joined and most importantly it’s not working out for Elliott.

The 22-year-old reportedly had a few clubs chasing him in the summer transfer window - but it looked like none were prepared to meet Liverpool’s asking price - estimated to be beyond £40m.

Elliott had only featured twice as a starter for Arne Slot during the 2024/25 Premier League title win. It’s understandable he would want regular first-team football and it’s regrettable for the self-declared Liverpool fan that he couldn’t get it at Anfield.

But needs must. Elliott’s contract was due to expire in 2027 - and last summer perhaps represented the club’s last chance to bank a decent fee.

Liverpool conclude less-than-ideal Elliott deal

They waited it out for the entire window without a deal being concluded - accepting Villa’s less-than-ideal bid at the 11th hour.

Elliott would move only on loan to Villa Park for the 2025/26 season - and an obligation to buy at £35m was inserted into the deal only if certain conditions were met.

The stipulation for a permanent transfer was for Elliott to play at least 10 league games. Right now he is marooned on three top-flight appearances - and hasn’t kicked a ball in the domestic league since September.

The playmaker has been frozen out by manager Unai Emery - having played only FIVE times for Villa thus far and hasn’t played at all since early October.

Emery more or less admitted before Villa’s UEFA Europa League tie against Basel on Thursday night that the club had little intention of completing a permanent deal.

Harvey Elliott frozen out by Aston Villa

"We are speaking with him and about his situation. He is not here with us," Emery said. "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."

In a season when Elliott was looking towards breaking into the England squad for the World Cup, this is a nightmare scenario.

What Liverpool should have done is include a straight-up obligation to buy. The wiggle room they allowed Villa has cost Elliott potentially a year of football and the club £35m.

Liverpool's Elliott options are very limited

There is little to no chance of any club matching that fee next summer when he will only have 12 months on his contract. They’d be lucky to get half that.

Liverpool’s options are limited further by the fact he’s played in the Premier League for the champions this season already. It means he cannot join a third club for the 2025/26 season.

If Elliott is to move again in January then he would have to join a team in a league which overlaps - such as the Brazilian league or MLS.

Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes therefore may have no choice but to cancel the deal outright and reintegrate Elliott to the first-team picture come January.

There may well be a space on the right side of midfield owing to the imminent departure of Mo Salah to the Africa Cup of Nations - not to mention the Egyptian’s current uncertain situation.

But this will go down as a monumental transfer misstep. It’s not the only loan deal that’s been botched this term - with others including Lewis Koumas and James McConnell not going well either.

But the manner in which they have handled the exit of a two-time Premier League winner is shoddy and looks certain to have big ramifications.

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