Credit: Imago

Evan Lloyd

Thu 14 May 2026 15:54, UK

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Harvey Elliott’s return to Liverpool has been confirmed after a nightmare season on loan at Aston Villa.

The midfielder arrived on transfer deadline day last summer, agreeing an initial loan deal that included a £35million obligation to buy if certain conditions were met.

But almost a year on, Elliott has made nine appearances for Aston Villa and will return to Anfield after failing to hit the 10 Premier League appearances required to make the deal a permanent one.

Unai Emery issued an apology to the midfielder on Thursday, with the Spaniard insisting throughout the season that the decision was purely tactical.

Both the 54-year-old and Villa transfer chiefs should face further questions on the situation, which has left a talented player with a year of his development wasted.

Unai Emery should face criticism for Harvey Elliott saga

Football Insider exclusively revealed last month that Elliott will likely leave Liverpool this summer, with there not being much of a home to return to at Anfield.

Arne Slot rarely utilised the midfielder last season, despite the strong campaign he had enjoyed under Jurgen Klopp in 2023-24.

Still, several clubs expressed their interest in Elliott last summer, after he had come off the back of a superb Under-21 European Championship, winning the player of the tournament award as England won it.

The 23-year-old ultimately jumped at a late chance to join Villa, with the move seemingly making sense for all parties.

Elliott initially played a part in the Premier League and bagged his first goal in the Carabao Cup against Brentford, but that was where his involvement ended.

Inexplicably, the midfielder would feature for just four minutes of action between October and the end of January, returning for 90 minutes against RB Salzburg, before returning to the bench.

Elliott’s last appearance came in March, when he spent one minute on the pitch as Villa won away at Lille.

The 23-year-old now faces an uncertain future going into the summer, after a season that has undoubtedly taken a significant mental toll on the player.

The Liverpool midfielder may well bounce back well, but Emery and Villa have placed his career in peril for no good reason at all.

Emery’s words ultimately meaningless

It was confirmed on Thursday that Elliott will not be extending his stay at Villa, with the midfielder to see out the next few weeks before returning to Anfield.

In some consolation, the 23-year-old may still end up with a Europa League winners’ medal to show for his efforts by the end of the month, not that he will play a part in the final.

Speaking on Thursday, Emery said: “Something embarrassing for everyone involved. My apologies to Harvey Elliott are every day in my mind.

“We have our responsibility and Liverpool have their responsibility, as a human and a person. How the season is going for him, it is difficult.”

To Elliott, Emery’s words may well appear hollow, and it would be hard to blame him. The midfielder will now head into the summer wondering: what next?