During the final months of Jurgen Klopp's tenure, Harvey Elliott was seen as a huge piece of the future and he was being used mainly as a super sub. His playing time was secure and he was scoring goals like this, as a result.
However, the first year under Arne Slot has seen a sudden and frustrating shift for him as some injuries slowed him at times, but overall the Dutch coach has just not favored him at all.
Fast forward to this summer, and it appears Liverpool are ready to sanction a move to sell him during this window as he has voiced his own frustration over a lack of playing time. However, is this the right decision for the Reds?
His potential is too big to ignore
Elliott is one of the brightest young talents in all of English football at this current stage in his career.
Having made his top-flight debut with Fulham at a mere 15 years and 174 days old, the now 22-year old already has loads of high level experience and it has only made him a better player.
His versatility to play in a multitude of spots on the pitch such as on the right side of a midfield three, in the No. 10 hole or as a winger means there are no shortage of options for him to make an impact.
When on the ball, he is constantly driving forward and taking calculated risks to have the Liverpool attack flowing in the right direction at all times. These are all traits that should align with what Slot is looking for from players, which makes his lack of trust in Elliott even more puzzling.
When he is given a proper run of games, his level only rises as he plays with confidence and he builds on this match-after-match.
He scored 3 goals in 8 England U17 outings and most recently has 10 goals from 25 England U21 appearances, most recently bagging a brace a few days ago to send England back to the Euro U21 Final.
Moving on from a player like this does not seem like wise long-term planning from a club that normally excels at that kind of thing.
He can clearly be a key contributor on a championship winning side while still getting better and better as he has not sniffed his peak yet.
To move on from a player like that for a modest fee might be a boost that summer, but years down the line he could be seen as one that "got away" and unnecessarily at that.
Elliott's transfer market is thriving
Fulham, Bayer Leverkusen, Newcastle, Tottenham, Brentford, Brighton, Everton, Crystal Palace, Leeds and West Ham are all credited with vested interest in the young English star.
His market value sits around €30 million which in my view, seem low if we're being honest about it. A player that has proven what he has already in his age profile should command something closer to £40 million at the base value.
However, with seemingly both the player and club pushing for an exit, there is not a lot of negotiating leverage remaining for Richard Hughes.
However, if Jarell Quansah can fetch £35 million after add-ons, Elliott should comfortably hit that mark or surpass it with such a bustling market after him.
Liverpool inserting a buyback clause in any Elliott sale, just like they did with Quansah would make a sale like this much more justified and would ease some of the risk involved of moving on too soon.
At the end of the day, Harvey Elliott is a supreme young talent that still has a lot to offer Liverpool if given the chance, but if not, he will surely thrive for any of the number of suitors after his services this summer.