On loan from Liverpool 

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Could Harvey Elliott be headed to Major League Soccer? According to an initial report by the Daily Mail, which Fabrizio Romano and The Athletic have since confirmed, Charlotte FC are interested in signing the 22-year-old attacking midfielder on loan until the summer. Elliott is on loan from Liverpool at Aston Villa but has been frozen out by Unai Emery. Villa could curtail his loan by paying a significant fee, but he is not part of Liverpool manager Arne Slot’s plans either, hence no recall clause was placed in his deal.

Should Villa opt to terminate the deal, then Elliott would have limited playing options until the summer transfer window. The Englishman has already played for two clubs in Europe this season and cannot therefore be registered for a third. Charlotte are willing to give Elliott a place to play until the end of June. As of July 1, Elliott could then move to a club playing in one of Europe’s top leagues.

According to a report by Romano, the decision is now up to the player. But multiple sources close to the player have told Transfermarkt that as things stand, Elliott is extremely unlikely to join Charlotte. Elliott joined Aston Villa, with an obligation to buy worth £35 million (€40m). As part of the deal, Liverpool have a sell-on clause and a buy-back option. If the obligation to buy is triggered, Elliott would become one of the five most expensive signings in Villa’s history.

Elliott has struggled for playing time – Aston Villa obligation to buy more nuanced than reported

The obligation to buy would be triggered if Elliott reaches certain performance metrics. Reports have suggested that Elliott would trigger the clause if he plays a certain number of games. Sources, however, have stressed to Transfermarkt that the obligation to buy is more nuanced than what has been reported elsewhere. Either way, Elliott has struggled for playing time and is unlikely to reach the performance metrics required to make his deal from Liverpool to Villa permanent.

Since joining Emery’s side, Elliott has played just 167 minutes across five games (one goal) in all competitions. Indeed, Emery seems to prefer other players in Elliott’s role. Morgan Rogers has been playing a stellar season as a no.10 under the Spaniard. Furthermore, in Emiliano Buendía, Donyell Malen, and Jadon Sancho, Emery has other options available to him. With all that in mind, Elliott’s future seems to have hit a major roadblock, and with Villa unwilling to see his option triggered, the playmaker needs a way out. Although Charlotte is unlikely to be an option at the moment, desperation for playing time could certainly change the situation.