Liverpool get surprise transfer update on €40m attacker

Robin Bairner

13 Nov 2025 11:25 GMT
4 min read

Arne Slot, Liverpool, Signal Iduna Park — © IMAGO

Harvey Elliott’s loan from Liverpool to Aston Villa is not working out as anyone had hoped – and there has been a twist in his future following a revelation on his loan deal ahead of the January transfer window.

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Elliott departed Anfield in the summer in search of first-team football after a promising campaign on Merseyside saw him scored five goals and create three more in 25 mainly substitute appearances.

It was hoped that Unai Emery would be able to get the best from the attacking midfield, who was expected to have a prominent role at Villa Park. But it’s not worked out that way.

Current ETV

Harvey Elliott

M (C), F (R)

Aston Villa

Harvey Elliott

M (C), F (R)

Aston Villa

ETV Range

€35.3M - €43.1M

The 22-year-old has played only 167 minutes of football across five appearances this term, only two of which have come from the start. Elliott has not been injured and, worse, he failed to make the squad entirely for the recent home victories over Manchester City and Bournemouth.

He now finds himself in a delicate position, which a report in The Athletic has detailed.

Will Harvey Elliott return to Liverpool in January?

There is no early termination clause in Elliott’s Aston Villa loan contract, which means it is unlikely that he will return to Liverpool midway through the season.

Having already featured for the Reds twice – once in the Premier League and once in the Community Shield – Elliott is not eligible to play for a third club this term. This narrows down his options significantly as it means he faces a choice between sticking it out at Villa or facing even more intense competition at Anfield, where a raft of big-money summer signings are vying for the attacking spots.

Elliott is said to be growing increasingly frustrated with the situation as he feels that instead of growing into Emery’s plans, he is being made more peripheral.

And yet, the probability is that he will become an Aston Villa player at the end of the season.

Emery’s side have a clause in his loan deal that will see him permanently should he make just 10 appearances. He is already halfway there just two months into his loan.

The Athletic points out that he still has a high ceiling that can be exploited and he also has strong resale value, even if things do not work out with him in Birmingham.

“He remains a relatively safe investment,” it points out.

Elliott’s transfer fee has been agreed at €40 million, according to Sky Sports. This is in line with his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €39m, suggesting that Aston Villa would be getting a fair deal.

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