Unai Emery Goes On Confusing Rant About Harvey Elliott Loan Clauses
Like many Liverpool fans, I was sad to see Harvey Elliott leave this summer on a season-long loan to Aston Villa, with an obligation to buy if he makes a paltry 10 appearances.
On one hand, it made sense: the current manager Arne Slot clearly didn’t rate the young attacking midfielder, and he is too good of a player to ride the pine. On the other, Liverpool were already starting the season a couple of players light, and they certainly could’ve used someone who could’ve filled in at a variety of attacking and midfield positions.
Anyway, this isn’t about Liverpool’s transfer myopia, but Aston Villa’s manager, Unai Emery. The obligation to buy clause seemed like a mere formality. Elliott had made double-digit appearances for Liverpool over 4 successive seasons, including the one where he missed most of the season with dislocated ankle from a horror tackle. Even Slot, who didn’t rate him, saw fit to give him 28 appearances in 2024-25.
So far, Emery has given Elliott just 7 appearances across all competitions. Woof.
Now, Villa could’ve canceled the loan during the winter transfer window. Or they could play him and pay the extremely reasonable £35 million fee to make the move permanent. Or they could simply not play him and let him return to Liverpool in the summer.
Or! Emery could go on a weird rant, trying to blame mean ol’ Liverpool for not renegotiating the terms of the loan deal:
“We have been fair because there are two ways. One way is a sport, the second is business. We’ll be fair in case, because we are trying it.
“And I told him, I spoke a few times with Harvey. Harvey, now I am opening the door to play with us, because he can help us. But it’s not only on my side. The other side is Liverpool, if they take off the clauses to play matches and for us to buy him.
“(I said to him) ‘you are going to play here with us, it’s a sport decision,’. But now it’s a sport decision and a business decision. My sport decision is still there – ‘you are deserving to play, we need your qualities in the field, you are going to play.’ But in case, the clauses are still there and now it is Liverpool – they have the key. And I told him. It will be fair for him in case Liverpool take off this clause.
“We are speaking about it (taking off the clause), but not now. We started speaking about it three months ago. Of course, the transfer window was finished on Monday.
“It will be fair for him, because he’s a calm guy, good guy, and he’s a fantastic professional. And then his qualities are there.”
I’m gutted for Elliott to be treated like this. No one is forcing Villa to play him (or not), it is the deal that they agreed to in the summer. He remains too good of a player to ride the pine, and hopefully wherever he ends up next year will end up better than how he was treated by Emery and Slot.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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