Liverpool will need Harvey Elliott to level up in 2023-24

We do not need to rehash the lack of new arrivals to Anfield this summer. It’s looking more and more likely that Jurgen Klopp will have to utilize the talent he has on-hand already. One of those talents is Harvey Elliott.

While the Reds did bring in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to become the faces of the midfield revolution, there will still be plenty of matches to go around for the likes of Elliott and Curtis Jones.

The fact that Liverpool have not yet brought in a new defensive midfielder is a sign of the lack of depth in the middle of the park.

Elliott is coming off of his best season since coming to Merseyside. He made 46 appearances in all competitions while scoring 5 goals. He spread those goals across the Premier League, Champions League and the FA Cup including this beauty against Wolves.

At the beginning of last season, Elliott was a regular starter and seemed to be building on the massive potential we all see he has in him.

However, as the season went along and injuries mounted, Curtis Jones and Stefan Bajcetic both seized the opportunity and became regulars themselves.

Bajcetic unfortunately suffered a season ending injury that he is just now is getting over. Jones lifted his game to new heights and he carried that into the U-21 European Championships.

Elliott went with him and scored one of the goals of the tournament, but he was mostly used as a substitute during the tournament. It’s looking likely that the super sub role will also be his situation back at club level.

With Liverpool being in the Europa League, there will be a lot of Thursday-Sunday turnarounds which will test the fitness of the squad. Optimal rotation will be key for Klopp which means plenty of chances for Elliott to make his mark.

Taking a closer look at his game right now, you love the confidence and aggression he plays with. He is always trying to carry the ball forward and wants to initiate attacks whenever possible.

He does not have blistering pace nor is he overly strong. However, his technical skills are superb and he does a great job using a defenders momentum against them.

Perhaps one of his issues that saw his game time get capped was he tends to turn off defensively. The Reds defensive woes have been well documented, and they cannot afford another player prone to lapses.

He is not a box-to-box midfielder, as he is more a true attacking midfielder. In the current setup, I assume he will be used to deputize Szoboszlai on the right side late in matches. He has shown flashes of a strong connection with Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

However, he needs to improve his decision making and must keep rounding out his game. Versatility is the name of the game in a Klopp midfield, and right now, Elliott is a bit one-dimensional.

His attacking verve is wonderful, but if he can bring his tempo management and defensive awareness up even a little, that could do wonders for his overall game.

If he can elevate these aspects of his game to combine with his confidence going forward, Liverpool could really have a special weapon to throw into big matches or start less vital domestic cup games.

Mac Allister, Szoboszlai and Jones might get more headlines, but Elliott could be the x-factor that shows the world maybe the Reds do have some strength in numbers in midfield.

Now 20 years old, it’s time for Harvey to take the next step. Let’s see if he has it in him after all.