Harvey Elliott FINALLY has a place at Arne Slot’s Liverpool | OneFootball

Harvey Elliott arrived at Liverpool as one of the most exciting prospects in English football, and he lived up to the hype.

Under Jurgen Klopp, Elliott became a regular in the Reds’ first team. Now the two-time Premier League champion is struggling to make the bench at Aston Villa.

The 22-year-old joined Unai Emery’s side on an initial loan in the summer, with a clause making the deal permeant after a certain number of appearances.

When the deal was done it looked certain that Elliott’s permeant exit was a foregone conclusion but now he looks Anfield bound once again, and there is a place waiting for him in Arne Slot’s side.

Elliott set to return to Liverpool

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Aston Villa have confirmed to Liverpool that Elliott will not be allowed to meet the terms of the clause that would obligate them to make a deal permanent and talks are now underway to see the England U21 international return in January.

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This once unlikely outcome won’t have factored into Slot’s thinking when planning for the season, but if Elliott does return to Merseyside he will more than likely be there for the remainder of the season.

Players are not allowed to play for more than two clubs in the same season and Elliott played came on as an injury time substitute for Liverpool against Newcastle earlier in the season, meaning he’s already played for two sides.

Although there was clearly no place for Elliott in Slot’s side at the start of the season, recent developments have opened up a spot that would be perfect for the former Fulham man.

Slot’s new diamond formation

A run of poor performances and a very public falling out with Mohamed Salah have led Slot to seemingly abandon his preferred 4-3-3 formation in favour of what appears to be a 4-4-2 diamond shape, with four midfielders being deployed behind a strike partnership.

Elliott never found his place on the right wing under Slot, with the majority of his cameos last season seeing him feature in the midfield.

Although he wasn't able to nail down a starting position in the Reds’ title winning campaign, the addition of a fourth spot in midfield and a lack of real depth in the position could see Elliott finally win a place in Slot’s plans.

If Liverpool continue to utilise the four-man midfield Elliott is bound to get game time, even if it is just off the bench.

With hopes of earning a place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup fading after a so-far disappointing season, Elliott will be extra motivated to prove himself to the Reds’ boss.