Harvey Elliot was a great hope for Liverpool when he signed from Fulham as a 16-year-old. He won trophies at Anfield, including the Premier League last season, but lacked game time. He made just 28 appearances in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign.
When Elliot did play, he performed, scoring the winner in the first leg of Liverpool's Champions League tie with Paris Saint-Germain. PSG turned the fixture around at Anfield and went on to win the competition.
It was clear that Elliot needed to go on loan to get valuable game time, just as he did at the start of his Liverpool career at Blackburn Rovers. Aston Villa appeared to be the perfect place, as a solid Premier League team to play regularly.
Unfortunately for Elliot, his Villa career could not have gone any worse. He has played just five times for Unai Emery's side this season. He managed one goal in an EFL Cup defeat to Brentford, but has not been in a Villa Premier League squad since October.
Where does Harvey Elliot's career go from here?
A former Villa manager, Dean Smith, could offer Elliot a lifeline in MLS. Smith is now the manager of Charlotte FC and told Sky Sports, "I put the feelers out, obviously, when I was over there. I was thinking about it and thought, there is an opportunity here.
"If he is not going to play at Villa and he can't play anywhere else, then it would be an option for him to come and play some games up until the World Cup break. If he is not playing between now and the World Cup, it is a shame. There is an opportunity for him to come out and play here if that is what Liverpool or Villa wanted to do."
Liverpool fans will be puzzled that Charlotte is even an option for Elliot. He is only 22, and it would be a step backwards if he were to move to MLS at this stage in his career.
Before his move to Villa, Elliot was linked with other Premier League clubs, including West Ham United, Brighton & Hove Albion, and a return to Fulham. Bundesliga sides, including Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, and RB Leipzig, were also interested in the midfielder.
His failures at Villa will have damaged his reputation, which may lead to a lack of interest from Premier League sides. However, a move to another European league would be much more valuable for Elliot than MLS.