Harvey Elliott out of options thanks to FIFA rule and could face MLS transfer reality

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Harvey Elliott’s options in Europe this season are limited by FIFA regulations, leaving the England U21 international facing the possibility of a move to the MLS

Harvey Elliott has fell out of favour at Aston Villa following his season-long loan from Liverpool(Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Harvey Elliott finds himself at a crossroads as FIFA regulations limit his options in Europe.

With playing time scarce, a move to America is emerging as a realistic solution to get his career back on track. The 22-year-old, currently on loan at Aston Villa, has been frozen out under Unai Emery and is not expected to feature regularly.

While Villa could choose to end the loan prematurely, Elliott also appears to be outside the plans of Liverpool head coach Arne Slot, highlighted by the lack of a recall clause in the deal.

That situation is a stark contrast to the original expectations when Elliott completed a deadline-day move to the Midlands, which included an obligation to make the transfer permanent next summer for £35 million ($47 million).

So far this season, Elliott has made just four Premier League appearances for Villa, with Emery preferring to deploy Youri Tielemans centrally, supported by John McGinn and Morgan Rogers.

FIFA regulations prevent a player from representing more than two European clubs in the same season, and Elliott’s brief appearance for Liverpool against Newcastle earlier in the campaign rules out the option of canceling the loan and sending him elsewhere.

Should he return to Anfield, he would be required to remain with Liverpool for the rest of the season. In some respects, that scenario could even be seen as a boost for Slot, particularly in light of the growing injury problems within the squad.

Recent reports suggest that Charlotte FC has secured the discovery rights to the England Under-21 international and are ready to offer Elliott a clear route back to regular football, rather than allowing him to spend the rest of the season on the sidelines.

Harvey Elliott has limited options for regular football(Image: Getty Images)

However Times reporter Paul Joyce states that despite being left in limbo as his career stalls, Elliott is not considering a move to MLS and has no intention of pursuing that option.

As things stand, a return to Liverpool is also unlikely, with no recall clause in place and no contact having been made by Aston Villa.

With his lack of minutes and strong competition for places, Elliott appears to be edging further away from any realistic hopes of breaking into Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for next summer’s World Cup.

Regular football at the highest level is essential if he is to be in contention, and without it, he risks being overlooked in a talent-rich pool of options available to the England manager.