Fabrizio Romano reveals Harvey Elliott ‘escape route’ from Liverpool and Aston Villa ‘nightmare’: ‘Prepared to offer’ | OneFootball

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Charlotte FC are ready to sign Harvey Elliott from Liverpool on loan in the January transfer window, with another source making the same claim about the Aston Villa loanee.

Elliott has had a very difficult time at Villa since joining Unai Emery’s side on loan from Liverpool on the final day of the 2025 summer transfer window. The Villans have the obligation to make the deal permanent for £35million (€40m, $46.7m) in 2026 should Elliott make 10 appearances, but it is (almost?) a given that it will not happen.

The winger has made only five appearances for the Villans so far this season, with Villa manager Emery publicly saying in December that “he is not definitely adding to us with a permanent contract”.

Liverpool do not have a recall option in Elliott’s loan deal, which means that the defending Premier League champions, Villa and the winger will have to mutually agree on the termination this month.

Sources have told TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, that Liverpool manager Arne Slot does not plan on using Elliott in his team for the second half of the season.

This has put the winger in a situation described by The Daily Mail as a ‘nightmare’.

Given that Elliott has already played for Liverpool this season, the 22-year-old cannot turn out for a third club in the 2025/26 campaign, unless it is for a team (such as in the Major League Soccer) that do not follow the European calendar of footballing season.

According to Fabrizio Romano, MLS club Charlotte FC are keen on a loan deal for the winger in the January transfer window.

The transfer guru has written on X at 12:19pm on January 2: “Charlotte FC are prepared to offer Harvey Elliott the chance to play on loan in MLS until June.

“Elliott, likely to return to Liverpool after being unused at Aston Villa on loan. Decision up to the player.”

Dean Smith wants Harvey Elliott at Charlotte FC

The Daily Mail, too, has reported Charlotte FC’s interest in a temporary deal for Elliott, claiming that the MLS club are ‘willing to offer’ the winger ‘an escape route from his season limbo’.

Former Villa manager Dean Smith is now in charge of the American club, and he is keen on working with Elliott at the Bank of America Stadium.

While Smith and Charlotte FC general manager Zoran Krneta are aware that Elliott would prefer to play in the Premier League, with the World Cup being staged in the USA in the summer of 2026, they believe that it could tempt him to play regularly.

Elliott has not made a decision yet.

Meanwhile, sources have told our transfer correspondent, Graeme Bailey, that Liverpool are competing with Manchester United for a Championship winger.