Harvey Elliott’s Valencia loan under scrutiny amid fitness concerns | OneFootball

Harvey Elliott’s Valencia loan has come under sharp scrutiny after a slow start in Spain. Marca claims the Liverpool midfielder reported for duty well above his optimal playing weight, after a disrupted pre-season back at Liverpool.

The 23-year-old has played only 88 minutes across three La Liga cameos. Valencia are 19th after five defeats in seven, and Carlos Corberan was sacked days after Elliott arrived.

On arrival, Elliott targeted regular football in a different league and a chance to rebuild confidence and enjoyment. He had held calls with Corberan about objectives and role, and accepted the season had started awkwardly but felt there was time to recover.

Before the international break, a message on his Instagram promised continued work and a better return, and thanked supporters.

Over the past two years his career has stalled. He fell out of favour under Arne Slot at Liverpool, then played 304 minutes at Aston Villa as Unai Emery kept him on the fringes to avoid triggering a £35 million obligation-to-buy clause.

On returning, new Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola immediately deemed him surplus. He is contracted until 2028, while Valencia have no obligation to buy and are paying most of his wages, making him the squad’s third-highest earner.

Elliott now enters a critical three-week window that the club view as a tailored pre-season, to trim down, sharpen fitness and meet physical thresholds. He must convince incoming head coach Javier Aguirre, who is contracted only until the end of the season and needs instant results.

Source: Goal.com

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