Premier League club named ‘favourites to win the race’ to sign Liverpool star
Players moving between Premier League clubs for big money is becoming the norm and champions Liverpool could be set to sell a popular player to a league rival.
Liverpool have already strengthened Arne Slot’s hand in advance of their Premier League title defence next season. Jeremie Frimpong has also been secured and Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz could follow soon.
Players coming in means players going out too. Trent Alexander-Arnold joined Real Madrid on a free transfer and Andrew Robertson could be heading to the same city to join Atletico Madrid.
Darwin Nunez is among the players linked with a move away from Anfield after struggling to match his previous goalscoring form in a red shirt despite being an appreciated member of the Liverpool team.
Harvey Elliott is another player reportedly in line for a move, having seen his Premier League playing time vastly reduced under Slot. The 22-year-old was injured early in the 2024-25 season but started just twice in the league.
But Elliott, currently in Slovakia with the England Under-21s at the European Championship, is seen as an exciting option with lots of potential yet to be fulfilled.
According to the Sunday Mirror, Aston Villa have emerged as the ‘favourite to win the race’ for his signature ahead of Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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Villa’s interest has been bubbling away in the last couple of weeks, calcified by Elliott’s stated desire for game time.
“It’s just a situation that me and the team have to have a conversation about because I’m coming into an age now where I’m 22, I’m going to be 23 next season,” he said after Liverpool’s Premier League title win.
“I don’t really want to be wasting years on my career because it’s a short career. You don’t know what’s going to happen.
“I need to reflect. I need to see if I’m content in doing what I’m doing and how can I improve as a player because that’s the most important thing.
“I just want to improve and be the best possible version of myself. If that’s to go somewhere else, then it’s a decision that I’m going to have to make and I just need to see what happens.”
Villa are not short of talent in midfield but they’re certainly short of bodies. Elliott’s flexibility would make him a smart addition, with Unai Emery able to deploy both Elliott and his existing midfield options in a variety of ways.
While the likes of John McGinn, Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers give Villa a formidable midfield anchored by Boubacar Kamara, the sheer amount of football played by Tielemans in particular last season – not to mention the ever-present threat of a blockbuster Saudi Pro League bid out of the blue – made clear the need for a midfield acquisition this summer.
At a reported £30m, Elliott could be just the ticket for Emery and Villa sporting director Monchi.
