Valencia step up the move for Elliott
Sixteen years and 30 days. That record still belongs to Harvey Elliott, and it is starting to feel like a long time ago.
According to Marca, Valencia are increasingly confident of getting him over the line. The Madrid daily says talks with Liverpool are moving in the right direction, with both clubs broadly aligned. Nothing is signed. The whole thing has clearly picked up speed in the last few hours, though.
Valencia want more bite in the final third and a British profile who can hand some experience to a young dressing room. Elliott ticks those boxes on paper, and the negotiation is reportedly down to the small print.
Hold off until it is official. The European window shuts on Tuesday night, and deals of this size tend to catch fire in the last 48 hours.
Try it for $0.99.
An ankle in September 2021 changed everything
Elliott is no unknown. In May 2019, at 16 years and 30 days, he became the youngest player in Premier League history while wearing Fulham colours. Liverpool moved for him almost immediately, convinced they had landed one of the best attacking teenagers in England.
Seven years on, the picture is murkier. The ankle fracture he suffered at Leeds in September 2021 stopped the climb dead. Since then the England midfielder has mostly been a substitute and a squad option, never nailing down a starting berth at Anfield.
Last season’s loan at Aston Villa told the story: one goal in eleven appearances. That is thin for a player approaching 24, in a career where minutes are the only currency that counts.
What it says about the Spanish market
Valencia no longer carry the financial weight of their best years, but they still have a nose for English players who need a reset. Mestalla is a hard place to play, the stands give nothing away for free, and this type of gamble has broken both ways for them in the past.
For Liverpool, letting Elliott leave this late would be a quiet admission that the route back into the XI has become too steep. The Reds have strengthened elsewhere and the midfield is packed. The open question is whether they sanction a loan or hold out for a permanent sale, and Marca does not answer it.
Discover the rest of the football news on our website and mathodds app!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply