Liverpool transfer branded a ‘complete shambles’ as sympathy is expressed over £35m deal Reds got wrong | OneFootball

A Sky Sports presenter has expressed deep sympathy for Harvey Elliott over the way the 2025/26 season has panned out, explaining how Liverpool and Aston Villa have both let the player down and with TEAMtalk revealing the likely next steps for the frustrated 22-year-old.

Elliott appeared to have the world at his feet last summer when he helped England Under-21s retain their UEFA European Championship crown, and with the Liverpool man named as Player of the Tournament.

And while quite clear he did not have a future at Anfield, and would need to move on for the good of his career, the switch he secured to Aston Villa on deadline day last September was expected to see him take his game to the next level.

However, the move has proved a disaster. Having signed on loan with an obligation to make permanent if he clocked up 10 appearances, Villa boss Unai Emery made it clear in the autumn that he did not fancy Elliott and had absolutely zero intentions of triggering the terms needed for a full-time move.

As a result, Elliott has been left in limbo, unable to sign elsewhere within Europe owing to FIFA guidelines that prohibit players from representing three clubs in one season.

While talks over a solution to the dilemma did take place in January, Liverpool made it clear that the issue was not with them, but with Villa, essentially ensuring the 22-year-old was stuck in no-man’s land and doing all he could on the rare occasions he has been called on.

But with a total of just nine appearances to his name, totalling just 278 minutes, a presenter has branded the move a ‘complete shambles’, having suggested Liverpool should have had a greater duty of care over a star who had done so many good things in a Liverpool shirt.

Taking to X, Sky Sports presenter Dougie Critchley said: “I feel so bad for Harvey Elliott; what’s happened to him this season is just not right.

“He was player of the tournament last summer as England won a second consecutive U21 Euros title. He’d played 127 games for Liverpool over the previous three seasons, but not favoured by Arne Slot, it felt like the perfect time to move on.

“Whether this is Liverpool’s fault for not selling him, Villa’s fault for loaning a player under terms where they couldn’t play him or his agent’s for organising a bad move… He’ll be 23 in April, has only been able to 110 league minutes this season, and because he’s played for Liverpool and Villa in 25/26, he was unable to move in January to another club in Europe.

“What a complete shambles of a move that has cost one of England’s most promising young players a year of crucial game time and development.”

Are Liverpool to blame for Harvey Elliott demise?

While a loophole in his Villa deal emerged last month, it has not helped Elliott’s cause and he remains as inactive as he was.

However, in light of Liverpool’s refusal to recall the player in January, a new theory has emerged as to why Elliott has been left largely kicking his heels on the sidelines – and this time the blame has been placed on the Reds’ shoulders.

Appearing on talkSPORT, former Liverpool and Aston Villa chief Christian Purslow explained: “Liverpool weren’t playing ball, and they weren’t playing ball because of what is hanging over today’s fixtures, which has been hanging over the last few weeks, which is the top five outcome.

“The stakes on Champions League qualification, guys, are so high, probably £90 to £100 million in revenue next year in or out, then frankly, the £5 to £10 million that you might lose if Harvey Elliott doesn’t kick a ball and bounces back in the summer is peanuts compared to whether Liverpool get fifth or Villa get fifth. So that’s why Liverpool aren’t playing ball.”

In simple terms, Purslow thinks that by not wanting to trigger the £35m clause for Elliott, Villa’s chances of a top-five finish could be impacted, with Liverpool in a position to gain from that, as opposed to simply accepting a £5m to £10m settlement on the player now.

So what happens next?

With Villa not wanting to sign the player permanently, he will return to Liverpool at the end of the season, though facing an uncertain future at Anfield too.

Arne Slot has made it quite clear that the player has no future under him, though speculation over the Dutchman’s future gives Elliott hope that a change of manager could yet give him a lifeline.

However, at this stage, that would appear unlikely, and the likely scenario is that Liverpool make it clear they are open to alternative offers for the player, albeit after his year of inactivity, at a vastly reduced fee.

Meanwhile, Liverpool are reported to have listed a striker with 32 goals to his name this season as a top target ahead of the summer window and with TEAMtalk looking into claims that the Reds are prepared to trigger his €80m (£69m) exit clause.

That news comes after a trusted journalist outlined plans for a major squad rebuild at Anfield, which has suggested up to six players, including the Premier League’s best player over the last decade, are all poised to leave.

In other news, FSG’s hopes of convincing Inter Milan to cash in on their prized asset are fading fast, with the Serie A pacesetters putting plans in place to ward off his departure, TEAMtalk can reveal.

And finally, Mohamed Salah is not the only Liverpool player who could head to Saudi Arabia this summer, according to a report, while sporting director Richard Hughes has also been tipped to move to the Middle East.