Harvey Elliott's dream move to Aston Villa has turned into a nightmare for the former Liverpool midfielder, with the 22-year-old struggling to make any impact since his summer transfer.
The Promise That Faded
When Elliott made the emotional decision to leave his boyhood club Liverpool last summer, it was meant to be a career-defining move. The Premier League champion had become frustrated with limited opportunities under new manager Arne Slot, starting just six times last season despite his impressive form for England Under-21s, where he was named player of the tournament during their European Championship victory.
The deadline day loan move to Aston Villa included a £35 million obligation to make the transfer permanent once Elliott played ten games for the Midlands club. However, three months into the season, that modest target now appears increasingly unlikely to be met.
Rapid Decline in Fortunes
Elliott's Villa career began promisingly enough with a goal on his full debut against Brentford in the League Cup. However, his only other start ended with him being substituted at half-time against former club Fulham in late September.
Since then, the midfielder's involvement has been minimal. A brief four-minute substitute appearance against Feyenoord on October 2 represents his last action for the club, leaving him with just five appearances total as the January transfer window approaches.
The situation has deteriorated to the point where Elliott has been left on the bench against Burnley, Tottenham, Go Ahead Eagles and Maccabi Tel Aviv, while being completely excluded from squads for victories over Manchester City and Bournemouth. He was also ineligible to face his parent club Liverpool.
Limited Options Ahead
Elliott finds himself in a particularly difficult position because he played twice for Liverpool before moving to Villa, meaning regulations prevent him from representing a third team during the 2025/26 season.
This leaves the young midfielder with two unappealing choices: either remain at Villa Park and attempt to fight his way back into Unai Emery's plans, or consider a mid-season return to Anfield where he would likely face the same bench-warming role that prompted his departure.
Liverpool legend Ray Houghton, who made the same move from Anfield to Villa Park ahead of the inaugural Premier League season in 1992, expressed his bewilderment at Elliott's situation.
"I'd love to speak to Harvey and see what his thoughts were," Houghton told Mirror Football. "He made the decision for footballing reasons. I think he probably realised he wasn't going to get as much game time under Arne Slot as he might have done under Jurgen Klopp."
Why It's Not Working at Villa
Houghton believes Elliott has been unfortunate with his timing, arriving at a club where the midfield was already performing exceptionally well.
"When you look at the midfield at Aston Villa, you look at the form that they were in ahead of coming to Anfield, they were absolutely flying," Houghton explained. "The position that Harvey would like to play is probably where Morgan Rogers is. And Morgan Rogers, he's going to be a top player."
The former Republic of Ireland international also highlighted the different tactical demands at Villa compared to Liverpool as a potential stumbling block.
"I have a story that they think he was playing the ball too quickly. Because at Liverpool, it's move it on, move it on. Sharp, sharp, pass, pass, pass. Whereas at Aston Villa, it is a bit more structured," Houghton revealed.
Houghton compared Elliott's situation to that of Liverpool's own struggling big-money signing Florian Wirtz, noting that modern football offers no "bedding in time" for new arrivals.
Time Rather Than Return
Despite the speculation about a premature return to Liverpool, Houghton believes Elliott simply needs more time to adapt to his new surroundings.
"I think I'll give him some more slack at the moment. And it's not easy," Houghton said. "When you're playing at Liverpool and you're playing a certain way, then you go to another club who's not playing exactly the same way, you've got to try and fit in."
He recalled a conversation with Peter Beardsley about his own early struggles at Liverpool: "It took him quite a while before he felt comfortable in himself that he could do the things that he wanted to do. And it might be the same with Harvey."
Houghton concluded that patience rather than panic is required: "I wouldn't be in a rush to do one thing and the other with him. I'll wait and give him a little bit of time. I think he deserves that."
As the January window approaches, all eyes will be on whether Elliott can turn his Villa nightmare around or face the consequences of a loan move that has spectacularly backfired.
