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This wasn't how it was supposed to unfold.
Harvey Elliott had no desire to leave Liverpool, not even temporarily, yet his loan stint at Aston Villa has proved disastrous. Elliott had cemented his place in Liverpool's plans under Jurgen Klopp, featuring in more than 30 league matches during each of the German manager's final two campaigns.
Life proved more challenging under Arne Slot, however, and - for the first time since arriving at Anfield as a teenager - he found himself contemplating a departure. With a World Cup looming, Elliott hoped to capitalize on his U21 Euros triumph with England by progressing to the senior squad.
Yet while Under-21 teammate Alex Scott has earned promotion to the senior set-up, Elliott's Villa ordeal has left him further from international recognition than ever.
"Look, if I had it my way, I'd be here for the rest of my career, it's as simple as that, I love everything about the club," Elliott told The Anfield Wrap earlier this year. "But at the same time, I kind of need to be selfish with myself and see what's best for me.
"I have big ambitions. I want to go to the World Cup. I want to keep being successful as a player. I think it's still something I need to review. I need to have a talk with everyone, really, and review the situation because we've had many new players come in, so whether it blocks the path for me, I'm not sure. It's something I need to decide and have a look at.
"My main focus is here now. At the moment I'm here for the season, as far as I'm aware, unless if anything changes, we have a busy preseason, it's non-stop, I need to make sure I'm focused on that and just be ready for everything."
Transfer clause
During Klopp's final campaign, Elliott featured more frequently from the bench than in the starting XI in league fixtures, yet he delivered a goal or assist every 111 minutes domestically, or every 155 minutes when considering all competitions.
Under Slot, his contributions-per-minute rate improved marginally, though this statistic carries less weight given he accumulated merely 822 minutes across the Premier League, domestic cup competitions, and Champions League combined.
Within that limited game time, however, there were standout displays, particularly a substitute appearance against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes. The 22-year-old naturally attracted attention from clubs including West Ham and RB Leipzig, but the move to Villa appears to have been an unfortunate decision.
Following his season-long loan switch to Unai Emery's outfit, Elliott has accumulated just 167 minutes across all competitions. His sole Premier League start came in a 45-minute appearance against former employers Fulham, and since that late September fixture, his only involvement has been a four-minute substitute appearance against Feyenoord in the Europa League.
Villa is obliged to make a permanent purchase if he clocks up 10 appearances, but this is far from guaranteed. He's currently on five outings, but hasn't made the squad for the last three league matches (including a game against Liverpool, where he was ineligible).
The Athletic reports that there's no recall clause in the agreement, and neither team has shown interest in terminating the loan. This is despite Liverpool's plans for Mo Salah to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and despite the same source suggesting Villa's new No. 9 was manager Emery's third choice behind ex-loanee Marco Asensio and West Ham's Lucas Paqueta.
Unexpected return
Emi Buendia's comeback has arguably made it easier for Emery to overlook Elliott. Buendia spent the latter half of the previous season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, aiming to regain form after an ACL injury, and this season he's reaping the rewards.
The Argentine international hasn't yet completed a full 90 minutes but has scored three goals and provided two assists in 430 Premier League minutes, seemingly enjoying the support of his manager.
This spells trouble for Elliott, with Buendia and Morgan Rogers now ahead of him in the pecking order and a deeper starting position unlikely, as Emery relies on more established stars who require no additional time to adjust to his system.
“He is training well, and he played some matches, but the performances weren’t what we needed," Emery said when asked about Elliott. "Some players are playing as a No. 10, and they are playing well, like Buendia and Rogers. Also Ross Barkley, after he was out.
"In the squad, we needed to take one player out, and I decided for (it to be) him. I am happy with him. He is training good. His commitment is fantastic, and he is a good guy. (It is) Only a tactical decision."
With a lengthy season ahead, Elliott may still find opportunities to break into Emery's first XI. However, he might reflect on the fact that Federico Chiesa has featured twice as much for Liverpool as he has for Villa, despite both players being largely on the periphery at Anfield last term, and question whether remaining at his former club would have been wiser.
One driving force behind his Anfield departure was the prospect of earning a place in England's World Cup squad. While uncertainty continues to surround his situation at club level, that international ambition now appears increasingly unlikely unless circumstances shift dramatically in the coming months.
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