Harvey Elliott’s loan to Aston Villa hasn’t gone as anyone hoped or planed, with the £35M purchase obligation agreed by Villa leading to the club deciding early in the season that maybe Elliott wasn’t for them and proceeding to freeze out the 22-year-old attacking midfielder.
The player’s Birmingham nightmare might be coming to a close, though, with reliable reports saying Villa are now working to terminate the agreement and send Elliott back to Liverpool. On the surface it seems best for all parties but it’s clearly something easier said than done.
If it was easy, Elliott likely would have already returned. Liverpool, though, will be seeking compensation for taking the player’s wages back on and loosing out on what seemed a certain permanent sale at the end of the season—as well as potentially damage to the player’s value.
Even if a termination can be agreed, there will be a question of what comes next for the player. It had become clear last season Elliott likely didn’t have a place at Anfield under manager Arne Slot, but playing for both Villa and Liverpool this season rules out another club in Europe.
There has been chatter around MLS side Charlotte FC, for whom Elliott would be eligible to play, but it seems clear they wouldn’t have the ability to pay a significant permanent transfer fee and a loan could be complicated due to MLS being on a different seasonal cycle.
