Emery reveals Elliott update; Romano reacts to Aston Villa boss being ‘best positioned’ for Real Madrid | OneFootball

Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery has revealed an update on Liverpool loanee Harvey Elliott and has responded to reports linking him with Real Madrid.

Emery is doing a remarkable job at Aston Villa, who are threatening an unexpected challenge for the Premier League title and have advanced to the Europa League knockout stages as group winners.

This has been achieved after the Villans had a disappointing summer transfer window, with Liverpool loanee Elliott among their additions.

This loan-to-buy deal was viewed as a major coup for Aston Villa, but it has proven a disaster for everyone involved as Elliott has barely featured for the Premier League side this season.

Elliott made a rare start and impressed as Aston Villa battled back from behind to beat Red Bull Salzburg 3-2 in their final Europa League group match.

Despite this, Emery revealed after the match that Elliott’s situation hasn’t changed.

“His situation doesn’t change,” Emery insisted after his side’s 3-2 win against Red Bull Salzburg on Thursday night.

“He played a fantastic game today but our idea with him doesn’t change.”

Emery has also been linked with a move to Real Madrid to replace head coach Alvaro Arbeloa as an alternative to Jurgen Klopp, with a report on Thursday claiming he is ‘best positioned’ to be their next boss.

When asked about a potential move to Real Madrid, Emery responded: “Nothing to say about it.”

Fabrizio Romano has responded to this speculation, claiming “several candidates are being discussed internally”.

“I have received many questions about the situation involving Unai Emery and Real Madrid. Let me clarify something. At Real Madrid, the process to select a new manager has not started yet,” Romano said on his YouTube channel.

“They will give Alvaro Arbeloa the opportunity to manage the team from now until the end of the season.

“It has not been an exciting start, especially in the Champions League and domestic cup competitions, although the situation in La Liga has been quite good.

“Several candidates are being discussed internally, but this is only internal conversation at this stage. Real Madrid are trying to understand who could be on a shortlist if they decide to change the manager in the summer.

“It is still very early. There are no negotiations, no talks, and no guarantees. It is simply a potential plan for the summer.

“For now, Unai Emery remains fully focused on Aston Villa from now until the end of the season, and we will have plenty of time to see what happens next.”