Despite a challenging loan spell at Aston Villa with limited playing time, Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott features prominently in the club’s festive marketing, potentially hinting at his future amid transfer uncertainty.
Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott is facing an uncertain future at Aston Villa as limited game time puts a significant transfer clause in doubt.
The 22-year-old was brought to Villa Park in September on a temporary basis, with a £35million obligation for a permanent transfer set to be activated if he plays 10 matches for the club. To date, Elliott has only managed five appearances for Villa.
The young midfielder scored on his full debut against Brentford in the Carabao Cup in September but was substituted off at half-time in his only other start against former club Fulham later that month.
Since October 2, Elliott has not been seen on the pitch under Unai Emery and has been left out of the squad entirely for recent wins.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that he made two appearances for Liverpool before joining Villa, which prevents him from playing for a third team in the 2025/26 season.
Speaking at the end of October when Elliott was omitted from the squad to face Manchester City, Villa boss Emery addressed the player’s lack of minutes, stating:
“He is training well, and he played some matches, but the performances were not what we needed… In the squad today we needed to take one player out, and I decided for him.
I am happy with him. He is training good. His commitment is fantastic and he is a good guy. Only [a] tactical decision.”
Nevertheless, the club may have revealed a clue regarding his prospects: he features prominently among numerous players in Villa’s festive marketing drive, alongside the motto: ‘All is Claret, All is Blue’.
The club’s decision to include the loanee in this drive is viewed as a telling signal of Villa’s plans, regardless of the continuing rumours surrounding his prospects.