Harvey Elliott's Liverpool future hangs in the balance after he was left out of the squad for the team's Premier League match against Newcastle on the first weekend of the season.
It was a little under a month ago when Elliott spoke candidly about his emotions after a "tough" loan spell at Aston Villa and why this summer felt like a second chance for Liverpool. He spoke about his love for the club – the team he has supported since he was a boy – and wanting to be free and enjoying himself again with his football, because he felt like he had not done that enough.
Elliott started Liverpool's first friendly under Andoni Iraola in Nashville and again when Liverpool took on Wrexham in New York four days later but as the World Cup contingent returned, the midfielder was benched and where he stood in the squad became clearer.
Elliott's exclusion from the squad on Sunday was not transfer related, nor is the midfielder carrying an injury. His contract expires next summer and if first-team football is not possible at Liverpool he needs to go somewhere where it is, to avoid another lost season.
In America, Elliott spoke about how he would speak to Iraola at the "right time" and emphasised the need to be "selfish". "Ultimately, I'm still wanting to be selfish, doing what's right for me," said Elliott. "Whether that's staying here and fighting for my place or potentially going elsewhere, I'm still unsure at the moment until I get some more intel."
Elliott played only nine games and a total of 277 minutes after Villa decided early on in the campaign that they did not want to trigger an obligation to sign him from Liverpool for £35m if he made 10 appearances. He returned early to Liverpool for the start of pre-season after a personally-challenging year.
Iraola himself was impressed by Elliott's attitude, saying as much in his introductory press conference. "I've seen him with this eagerness to show himself. He will have a chance during the pre-season. He came one week earlier and I hope we can see him in a good place," said Iraola.
With a week to go of the transfer window and with further attacking signings expected at Anfield, perhaps the writing is on the wall. A move lower down the Premier League or somewhere in Europe may be an option for the 23-year-old, who scored the winner for Liverpool at PSG in a year where the Ligue 1 club won the Champions League.
Elliott is neat on the ball and unafraid to take risks – a return of 15 goals and 21 assists for Liverpool, across all competitions, showcases what he can do. He is a player who was named player of the tournament when England Under-21s won the European Championship in 2025.
Either way, it is imperative for all involved that Elliott finds somewhere to play football regularly this season because it seems unlikely at Liverpool and at 23, he cannot afford to have a season like last.
Source: Yahoo Sports