Harvey Elliott’s Aston Villa loan has been one of the strangest Liverpool-related stories of the season.
The midfielder left us to get more football, but instead he’s been left with only 284 minutes across the campaign.
Now Arne Slot has confirmed that, as things stand, the 23-year-old will return to Liverpool for the start of next season.
Liverpoolfc.com shared Slot’s latest comments after the head coach was asked about Elliott ahead of our trip to Villa Park.
The Dutchman said: “I think for him, for everyone, it didn’t work out as he wanted it, as we wanted it and probably also how Villa wanted it, because you usually sign a player or bring him in on loan to use him.”
Slot then added: “He went over there to get more playing time, but unfortunately that didn’t happen.”
That’s the key frustration from a Liverpool perspective because Elliott didn’t leave Anfield as a fading squad player with no reputation left to protect.
The former Fulham youngster had just enjoyed a brilliant summer with England Under-21s, and this move was meant to give him the regular senior football he needed.
Instead, the attacking midfielder has barely played, with nine appearances, one goal and a season that feels like a wasted year.
Slot made clear that Elliott remains Liverpool’s player, saying: “He’s contracted to us so he will be with us in the start of the season.”
That doesn’t necessarily guarantee a long-term future at Anfield, but it should at least give the England youth international a chance to reset in pre-season.
Henry Winter has already called it a “sad waste of a year”, while Dougie Critchley described the move as “a complete shambles” that has cost Elliott crucial development time.
Both assessments feel fair because this isn’t a player who refused to work or failed to care.
Elliott simply needed minutes, confidence and trust, and Villa have provided very little of that.
Liverpool must now decide whether Slot can find a proper role for him, because after such a frustrating loan, the least Elliott deserves is a fair look when he returns.
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