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Arne Slot is facing calls to bring Harvey Elliott back to Liverpool after the midfielder was once again overlooked by Aston Villa.
The England U21 international has featured in only five matches across all competitions for Villa, starting just twice. Compounding his struggles, he hasn’t been included in Unai Emery’s Premier League squad since October’s clash with Tottenham.
Elliott was once again overlooked for Villa's 2-1 win against Arsenal, with Jadon Sancho getting in the squad ahead of Elliott despite him failing to make an impact in recent games. Villa climbed to second in the table after a late winner by Emiliano Buendia.
Emery recently explained that Buendia’s strong performances, which have revitalized his Villa career in recent months, are partly responsible for Elliott’s limited playing time.
Liverpool fans have been taking to social media to urge Slot to bring Elliott back to Anfield. One X user said: "Another Villa game without Harvey Elliott. Bring him home!
"I'd rather he was on our bench than theirs. He's/we've definitely been done dirty. He deserves better."
Another user added: "What did Harvey Elliott do to Villa? There is no chance that he isn't good enough to be on their bench at least."
While a third person said: "The fact that Harvey Elliott can’t even make the bench for Aston Villa is ridiculous. I like and respect Unai Emery, but better managers than him have found plenty of use for Harvey."
Reports suggest that Villa’s decision to sign Elliott was largely driven by Monchi, the club’s former president of football operations. Monchi departed less than a month after Elliott’s arrival, with reported disagreements between him and Emery over transfer targets cited as a key reason for his exit.
Elliott now faces a difficult situation, as FIFA rules prevent a player from appearing for more than two clubs in a single season. Having already played for both Liverpool and Villa, his only chances of featuring again this term are either breaking into Villa’s first team or returning to Liverpool under Slot—both options currently seem unlikely.
According to Football Insider, Liverpool is frustrated by the situation, and discussions between the two clubs are expected ahead of the January transfer window, when Elliott could potentially be recalled.
Slot has acknowledged he understands how Elliott must be feeling as the Liverpool loanee continues to struggle for game time at Villa. Speaking during his Friday pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Leeds, the Reds manager appeared to show sympathy for the 22-year-old’s frustrations.
“I haven’t had contact with him a lot, I think only once or twice, and that was before he played Feyenoord away and after,” Slot said. But that had more to do with him playing against a former club of mine, so no, I haven’t spoken to him.
“I am aware of his situation, of course. I knew how difficult it already was for him over here, so I think I know how he feels at this moment, but you should ask those questions at Villa, and not over here when it’s about his playing time.”
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