Slot sends Harvey Elliott most brutal of messages as Liverpool return talk is emphatically addressed | OneFootball

Arne Slot has told Aston Villa that Liverpool have absolutely ZERO intentions of entering talks to bring Harvey Elliott back to Liverpool in January, leaving the England Under-21s hero in no man’s land and with the Reds boss also addressing speculation about a swoop for Antoine Sememyo.

Elliott moved to Aston Villa on transfer deadline day, joining on a season’s loan deal that would be transformed into a permanent £35million (€40m, $46.7m) deal in 2026 once the player makes 10 starts for Unai Emery’s side.

But some three and a half months into what was expected to be an exciting new chapter for the player, Emery has turned his back on the former Liverpool man and told him that the club are ready to enter talks with the Reds over rescinding the deal and sending him back to Anfield.

With Mohamed Salah away at AFCON and with Alexander Isak sustaining a fracture to his leg, which has required surgery and is expected to sideline him for a couple of months at least, the stars appear to have aligned for Elliott to revitalise his career back at Anfield.

However, Slot insists Liverpool have no intention of entering talks with Villa, with the Dutchman making it clear that Elliott is supposed to stay at Villa Park for the remainder of the season.

“No, Harvey is an Aston Villa player,” Slot said in a press conference on Tuesday. “He’s supposed to be going there for the season. Any questions about him, the best place to ask is in Villa. They are doing really well, by the way.”

One player Liverpool could turn to to bolster their ranks is Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo, who is free to leave the Cherries if anyone meets his £65m (£60m plus £5m in add-ons) exit clause before January 10.

However, Slot was respectfully dodging talk that the Reds would be making a move for the Ghana winger when asked.

“My first and only thoughts are on the upcoming games,” Slot replied. “Two difficult ones [against Wolves and Leeds] at home. It’s a time for the players we have to roll their sleeves up and for the fans to help us to get the results we want.

“The available players and fans need to give everything they have.”

What next for Harvey Elliott and why has Villa move turned sour?

With Slot effectively telling Elliott that if Villa cancel the deal, he won’t be picked, and with Villa boss Emery turning his back on the player and making it clear he won’t hand him the starts required to trigger a permanent move, the player has been left in a pretty desperate spot.

Should Villa cancel the deal, they will likely need to pay the Reds a premium to do so. But with the player having already represented both clubs this season, FIFA rules prevent him from playing for a third, meaning he will be stuck in no man’s land until next summer at least.

Were he to return to Anfield, Liverpool could negotiate to sell him again next summer, though their profits on him will be hit by way of his season of inactivity.

Either way, the Liverpool Echo’s Liverpool FC correspondent, Paul Gorst, has explained as to why the move to Villa Park has turned sour.

And he reported that “there is an acceptance that the decision to sign Elliott in the closing hours of the window was driven by former sporting director Monchi, who left Villa just weeks later”.

The well-informed and well-connected journalist added: “Emery, it is believed by those close to Villa, feels Elliott has yet to adapt to the demands placed on him and with the club still trying to avoid the pitfalls of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Regulations, triggering a £35m fee for someone who isn’t in the plans would be a foolish move.”

Guehi to Liverpool bombshell; Villa chase Tottenham attacker

Meanwhile, another sign that the writing is on the wall for Elliott at Villa Park has arrived after sources confirmed that Villa have ‘made contact’ over a deal for an unwanted Tottenham star, who has been given the green light to depart next month.

Up at Anfield, two of the most respected reporters are aligned in what they believe will happen with Marc Guehi amid new claims Liverpool could land the Crystal Palace defender in January.

On the subject of Isak and his unfortunate injury, new fears have been raised over the length of time the Swede faces on the sidelines, while the Reds have been tipped to sign one of four short-term replacements.