Newcastle United have been credited with an interest in securing Harvey Elliott‘s signature, with the Liverpool attacker having struggled for playing time.
The Englishman was an unused substitute in the Reds’ 1-0 victory against Everton on Wednesday night, meaning he has still played just 128 minutes in the league this season.
His lack of game time has led to speculation that he could leave Anfield despite the fact he is a boyhood fan, and that he has himself insisted he will fight for his place.
TEAMtalk claim that Newcastle hold an interest in the attacker and could make a move for him in the summer transfer window, with Liverpool reportedly keen on bolstering their own transfer funds through sales.
What does Elliott offer?
Elliott featured in 34 games for Liverpool in the Premier League last term, and though he only started 11 times, he often made a significant impact from the bench.
The 21-year-old possesses an excellent skillset on the ball, with his incisive passing and ability to retain possession under pressure making him stand out from his teammates.
Dominik Szoboszlai has been used as the team’s attacking midfielder this season, but he has been selected in order to act as a hardworking foil to Mohamed Salah.
While Elliott cannot be faulted for his attitude to work off the ball, it is not unfair to say that he is not as gifted athletically as Szoboszlai.
Would Elliott work at Newcastle?
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe guided the Magpies to a 2-1 victory against Liverpool in the EFL Cup final on March 16, with the win built upon the teams’ physical dominance.
There is an argument that in order for Newcastle to take the next step and regularly qualify for the Champions League, Howe needs to improve his side’s technical quality on the ball.
Perhaps Elliott could be used behind striker Alexander Isak, where his creative passing could help him either play towards the number nine or towards wide players such as Anthony Gordon.
