Teammates 'feel sorry' for Liverpool star's brutal situation | OneFootball

One star has his teammates feeling sorry for him in a brutal situation. Liverpool have a major decision to make.

Liverpool have several massive decisions to make this coming summer. But perhaps none of them carry the same weight as the one with Harvey Elliott.

The 23-year-old has essentially lost a season of his career - and that comes on the back of barely playing last season, either. But this was supposed to be a breakout year for him as he joined Aston Villa on loan.

A clause in the deal ruined things, however. Villa would need to buy Elliott permanently if he played 10 Premier League games. Unai Emery quickly decided the player wasn’t quite what he wanted, and thus couldn’t afford to play him 10 times.

Elliott has essentially been frozen out for the campaign. He’s played just 110 Premier League minutes across this season and it’s unlikely that he’ll get more in Villa’s final league game.

The Athletic’s report on the situation sums it up nicely. They report that Elliott’s Villa teammates feel sorry for him as he’s been great around the training ground and never let up his his work ethic, even if he knew full well it wouldn’t lead anywhere.

And so Elliott will return to Liverpool this summer. He’ll do so without any clear idea of what his future will be and the Reds must decide whether to sell him or not.

But doing so would be on the back of a disastrous season that saw Elliott’s value absolutely tank. Importantly, he rejoins a Liverpool team that hasn’t performed - one that, in theory, he could force his way into if he were afforded the opportunities.

It’s going to be a difficult way back for Elliott but it’s far from impossible that he gets on track again.

Harvey Elliott: Situation Summary

Aston Villa Performance and Stats

As of 15 May 2026, Harvey Elliott is enduring what has been described as the "most disastrous deal of the season" following a failed loan move to Aston Villa. After joining from Liverpool last summer, the 23-year-old has been frozen out by Unai Emery, managing only nine appearances and 284 minutes of action. His Premier League contributions are currently blank, with zero goals and assists and a low average FotMob rating of 6.37. His situation is complicated by a unique transfer clause: Villa were only obligated to make the move permanent if Elliott reached 10 appearances. By leaving him on the bench for most of the campaign—including a "brutal snub" for the match against Nottingham Forest on 7 May—Villa look set to avoid that obligation.

Future and Return to Liverpool

Arne Slot confirmed on 14 May that Elliott "will be with us at the start of next season." Slot admitted the loan "didn't work out as we wanted," noting that the player had featured more regularly at Anfield the previous year. With Liverpool's midfield depth being tested and the club planning a summer overhaul, Elliott is expected to return to the squad for pre-season training, though he remains ineligible to face Villa in tonight’s fixture.

International Standing

Due to his lack of playing time, Elliott has fallen out of contention for Thomas Tuchel’s England squad. He is not expected to be included in the final 26-man roster for the 2026 World Cup this June, having been largely overlooked during the qualifying campaign.