Harvey Elliott transfer mystery deepens as £35m clause condition emerges | OneFootball

Liverpool agreed to send Harvey Elliott on loan to Aston Villa on transfer deadline day in September.

Having failed to secure a permanent transfer Elliott was fixed up with a temporary spell at Villa Park. And written into the agreement was a clause that meant Unai Emery’s side would be due to pay £35m for a permanent deal if Elliott made 10 appearances.

Now it’s come to light that the clause ONLY applied to Premier League matches - which makes Villa’s treatment of Elliott this season all the more infuriating.

“Villa would be obliged to buy Elliott for £35 million if he plays a certain amount of matches, but this only applies to Premier League appearances,” a report reads in the Birmingham Mail.

“It is understood that this condition was part of the deal from the start, rather than a result of renegotiations between the two clubs.”

Elliott clause only valid in Premier League

Elliott, 22, has been left on the periphery since Emery decided in October that his club would not be seeking to exercise the permanent clause.

They froze out the England hopeful for months - only turning to him in the new year when injuries began to bite. The playmaker has made a bit of a comeback in recent weeks - although Emery confirmed earlier this week that he is currently sidelined due to injury.

But if Villa knew that the clause only applied to top-flight matches then why did they leave him on the sidelines for their FA Cup and Europa League matches earlier this term?

Elliott has been eligible to play EIGHT more matches for Villa this term without affecting the £35m clause. So why not use him?

Aston Villa have mistreated Elliott

Liverpool and Elliott have got every right to be upset about the current situation. Even if he played only in Europe and the domestic cup competitions Elliott could have enjoyed a lot more football than he’s got.

And Liverpool could have been hopeful of securing a good transfer fee next summer if the player remained in the limelight. Elliott is only under contract until 2027 - meaning that decision-makers at Anfield are bound to compromise on their £35m asking price.

It would appear that Villa have successfully managed to run down Elliott’s price - which begs the question of whether or not they would seek to sign him on the cheap at the end of the season when the clause expired.

- no doubt hopeful of fixing up a permanent sale elsewhere.

Given his age - and talent - whoever gets Elliott next summer when he has only one year left on his Liverpool deal will be benefitting from Villa’s ill-treatment of the Reds’ loan star.