Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott has not featured that much so far under Arne Slot. And ahead of the final nine games of the Premier League season, he is one of those hoping to end the first campaign under the Dutchman strongly.
As the Reds look to seal the league title and get over the line ahead of Arsenal, there should be the chance to hand a few opportunities to those who haven’t had many in recent months. With a big summer coming up in the transfer market, that could be useful to determine where the future of several players — Elliott included — might lie.
Along with the likes of Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo, Elliott has very much been a squad player for Slot. As a result, Sky Sports reports that the Reds would accept a “good enough” offer for him this summer if the chance came to cash in.
Exactly what his valuation might be remains to be seen but the England U21 international has been linked with Brighton and Newcastle, among others. Borussia Dortmund has also been named as a possible destination with a penchant for picking up and developing the best young English talents in recent years.
But while Elliott could get more game time elsewhere, he has already made it clear that Liverpool, the team he grew up supporting, is where his focus lies at the moment. That was a few months ago, when the rumors about an exit first emerged.
In January, Elliott scored in the Champions League against Lille, celebrating with a shushing motion. That is one of only four goals he has scored this season, but he has played under 600 minutes across all competitions.
“I think it’s pretty clear, to be honest,” he said on Amazon Prime at the final whistle when he was asked what the celebration meant. “I’m not leaving. This is my team. This is my club. I’m a massive fan and we’re in a great position so far this season.”
(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
If he wants to get guaranteed minutes next season, he might have to look elsewhere. Dominik Szoboszlai has established himself as the number one choice and Curtis Jones has operated in the number 10 role too.
Elliott has already made it clear, though, that he wants to fight for his place. Only a year or 18 months ago, Jones was in a similar place in terms of his position in the squad — and things can change quickly.
Liverpool.com says: If Elliott wants regular game time next season, he might have to move on. At 21, though, he can afford to be patient and there is no reason to rush into a decision.
He missed out on the first England squad under Thomas Tuchel and might be eyeing a spot at the World Cup, but there is lots of competition in his position with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden.
There is no need to leave Liverpool just yet, even if he faces a battle to get into the starting XI every week. Aside from all of that, it remains to be seen if a team would put a big enough offer on the table for the Reds to accept anyway.
