No way back: Richard Hughes already considers midfielder SOLD | OneFootball

Liverpool took the decision to send Harvey Elliott on loan to Aston Villa on last summer’s transfer deadline day.

The 22-year-old midfielder signed a one-season loan deal with Unai Emery’s side - which would become permanent if certain conditions were met.

Villa were ready to pay £35m to sign Elliott in summer 2026 - provided he played at least 10 matches. Emery however decided early during Elliott’s Villa Park stay that the club would not be seeking to complete a permanent deal.

And so the playmaker was left in limbo - stuck on five appearances until an injury crisis very recently brought him back into the fold.

Elliott would cost Villa £35m

He has moved closer to the 10-game threshold having now featured seven times for the Villans.

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And reports recently suggested that the two clubs were seeking to redraw the conditions of the loan deal for the second half of the season.

Elliott was also linked with a move to MLS for January - one of the few leagues he was eligible to play in as he’d already featured for two teams in the 2025/26 season.

Whatever happens next it is NOT expected that Elliott will have a part to play at Liverpool going forward. That’s according to a report on BBC Sport - which claims that the Reds consider Elliott “sold” since last summer.

Liverpool don't want Elliott back

“Liverpool's stance is that it is Villa's issue to solve,” the report reads.

“They have budgeted for the transfer fee and having Elliott's wages covered.

“The prospect of him returning to Anfield remains remote and while manager Arne Slot has been criticised for what has been perceived as a cold approach to a loaned player struggling for game time, Liverpool feel they effectively sold Elliott last summer.”

Elliott is under contract at Liverpool until 2027 and it looks like sporting director Richard Hughes will make an attempt to sell him to a different club in summer 2026 - unless Villa come to an arrangement before then.

That is a remote prospect as Emery has made it plain that he doesn’t consider part of Villa’s plans long-term.

The Premier League champions will surely have to reduce their budget forecast however as finding a new buyer for Elliott at £35m is not going to be easy with only one year left on his deal.