Harvey Elliott discovers two new landing spots after $47M Aston Villa decision

Harvey Elliott’s loan move from Liverpool to Aston Villa has backfired, leaving the 22-year-old facing a pivotal decision about his next step after a planned permanent $47m (£35m) deal collapsed. Villa had an obligation to buy if he reached 10 appearances, but with Unai Emery limiting him to just five games, that trigger will not be met, and the club has long since decided against signing him permanently.[2][4]

Liverpool sanctioned the move last summer expecting Elliott’s future to lie away from Anfield, and his contract to 2027 means he is not central to Arne Slot’s long‑term plans.[2] However, FIFA rules now complicate his situation: having already played for both Liverpool and Villa this season, he cannot appear for a third club in a league on the traditional European calendar.[2][4] That blocks any standard January switch inside Europe and severely restricts his options.

As a result, Elliott has had to look at leagues whose seasons operate on a different schedule. The article explains that Major League Soccer has emerged as a realistic escape route, with multiple MLS clubs registering interest as they build rosters for a season that starts in February.[2] A short-term loan there would give him the regular minutes he urgently needs to revive a stalled career, while allowing Liverpool to reassess his value and options in the summer.

Alongside MLS, Elliott is also understood to have potential opportunities in other off‑cycle competitions such as Brazil’s Brasileirão, whose calendar likewise overlaps the European season and so avoids the three‑club restriction.[2] These two new landing spots – MLS and Brazil – represent his best immediate routes back to consistent first‑team football, after a Villa spell that has underlined how quickly a highly rated Premier League winner can find himself on the fringes without the right environment and trust from the manager.