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Harvey Elliott leaving Liverpool in search of more game time in the summer felt like an obvious step. Going to Aston Villa, a team chasing a regular spot in the Champions League, felt like the right kind of move.
And yet, nothing has seemingly gone right for the 22-year-old so far at Villa Park. His chances have been incredibly limited and Unai Emery hinted earlier in the month that the situation wouldn't be changing any time soon.
Morgan Rogers has been the main man in the number 10 berth for Emery, while Emi Buendia, who looked to be heading for the exit door in the summer, has found a new lease of life. Exactly where that leaves Elliott remains to be seen.
Having already played for Liverpool this season, Elliott cannot play for another team. His options for now, in simple terms, are either to stay at Aston Villa or find a way of returning to Anfield.
Considering this was a move that looked set to put him in contention to break into Thomas Tuchel's England squad ahead of the World Cup, it is a remarkable situation for such a talented player to find himself in.
"I think Elliott needs to go and play somewhere that he's going to play football," Jermaine Jenas told 10bet this week. "This summer, he obviously fully felt that Villa was the right place to go.
"I think if I was him I would have looked at it like that as well. But it's not worked out. For whatever reason, only he knows that.
"Whether it's his fault in terms of his application or his ability, I don't know whether he just doesn't fit into the system. But the reality is now if he goes back to Liverpool, I don't see him playing there either.
"There's no point in that. You need to make sure you are, from January onwards playing in the Premier League week in, week out."
Elliott can't move to another club, though. That isn't possible until next season, leaving him stuck in limbo.
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"I think Elliott's had too many years really as an in-out player," Jenas continued. "He's shown what he can do in the summer with England U21s and I think that it's time now that he went and took a risk.
"If you look at Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, he could have seen out a huge contract at Chelsea after moving from Leicester, but he showed real appetite to move to Everton, and he’s kicked on. I think that’s the blueprint for Harvey — just not to move to Everton!"
Liverpool.com says: Elliott is a very talented player and the transfer decision he made looked to be the right one. All he can hope for really is to get a chance in the next few months. When it comes, he will need to take it.
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