Liverpool £35m transfer has long been off as brutal stance sadly proved correct

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It's the sort of fixture Harvey Elliott will have targeted when he made the decision to leave Liverpool in search of first-team football.But when his parent club faces Aston Villa, where he is currently on loan, the midfielder will find his nose pressed up to the glass as his two teams joust in a critical fixture for the Champions League shake-up.Of course, the agreement between the clubs, as is standard in the Premier League, always meant Elliott wouldn't be permitted to feature against the Reds on Friday. But his absence won't be keenly felt by Villa, who have navigated big matches and the entire season virtually without him.The 23-year-old's move to Villa Park on transfer deadline day was agreed under the premise that it would become permanent if 10 Premier League appearances were made.

At the time, it seemed a relatively straightforward clause that would inevitably be triggered.READ MORE: Danny Murphy says in-limbo Liverpool star will be 'desperately open' to change in managerREAD MORE: Jamie Carragher fears Liverpool are repeating Man United mistake with Arne Slot 'worry' clearHowever, Monchi's exit as Villa's sporting director just weeks after Elliott joined complicated matters, with manager Unai Emery admitting earlier this year that the club had no plans to trigger the clause as far back as November.“We decided two months ago that we are not convinced to sign him, spending the money we would need to," the Villa boss said in January. This is not something good for us and him, but this is football and sometimes we must make decisions.”It's impossible not to feel sympathy for Elliott, whose short career has had an entire season written off by a decision Villa seemingly made just weeks after striking the £35m deal with Liverpool.But Villa have been mindful of their PSR situation for some time and in a campaign that has saw them reach the Europa League final while sustaining a push for a top-five place, it is also fair to say it has not been the wrong call to push Elliott to the fringes.With a Europa League showpiece to come next week against Bundesliga outfit Freiburg, this could well be the club's most memorable season in decades, which makes it even harder to suggest their decision has been proven wrong.Qualification for next season's Champions League will also provide the financial platform to push on under the expertise of Emery, who has transformed the club's fortunes since replacing Steven Gerrard in the hotseat in October 2022.FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE!

All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook pageElliott has earned respect and garnered praise for how he has conducted himself during a campaign where he has been afforded so little opportunity and there is likely to also be plenty of empathy at Villa's Bodymoor Heath complex for the unfortunate situation he finds himself in.A 96th-minute substitute appearance in a 3-2 win over Newcastle United in August for Liverpool meant he was unable to make a move away from Villa in January and while MLS interest was floated, it's believed Elliott was never seriously considering a short-term deal switch to Charlotte FC.Elliott moved to Villa to push for a place in this summer's England World Cup squad having starred for the Three Lions under-21s in back-to-back European Championship successes in 2023 and 2025. But right now, the former Fulham youngster is seemingly further away than ever, likely counting down the days until his miserable loan period ends.Even the seven changes made by Emery for the recent defeat to Tottenham Hotspur still didn't see Elliott involved and he has made just five league appearances all season, four of which have been for Villa.With game-time dwindling significantly under Arne Slot compared to the 53 appearances he made in Jurgen Klopp's final term as Liverpool boss, it's likely that Elliott may need to look elsewhere this summer if the current head coach remains, as is expected, in place for next season.Interest from RB Leipzig was genuine last summer and the youngster is likely to have plenty of offers if he is seeking pastures new.But when Liverpool meet Aston Villa on Friday night, Elliott - who has made just one Premier League start all season - won't necessarily be conspicuous by his absence.The tale of his season, sadly, is a cautionary one for players and club alike when it comes to negotiating deadline day deals.