Liverpool and Aston Villa's roles in Harvey Elliott mess after disagreement over changing deal
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Harvey Elliott has played just 110 minutes of Premier League football for Aston Villa this season, with Unai Emery insisting both clubs played a part in the midfielder's limited roleUnai Emery has maintained that Harvey Elliott's limited playing time this season was down to both Aston Villa and Liverpool safeguarding their respective interests.The 23-year-old has featured for just 110 minutes of Premier League football this campaign, largely as a result of Emery deciding early on that he had no intention of signing Elliott on a permanent basis.Villa would have been obliged to pay £35million to secure Elliott from Liverpool had he made 10 Premier League appearances. All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page"I explained it at the beginning of the season, when we decided how we needed to manage his situation as a player, as a person as well," Emery said.
They were favourites and we could beat them, which was something fantastic in that moment."Then how they progressed in the Premier League and how they are performing, being at the top level, it is very difficult to compete against them."It would be something not normal if we were beating them normally. With the process we are in, it is not a surprise."Asked if he would rotate his team, with the Istanbul final looming, Emery said: "The Premier League has been the priority and will still be the priority because we are going to play the final, and we have now a 50 per cent chance to win the title and play in the Champions League."Through the league is the first priority because we are involved clearly for fourth position with Liverpool, and we can even lose fifth because behind us are Bournemouth and Brighton with chances to get us."Of course, it is something very important to finish the season with the highest target we set at the beginning of the season.
It is something we must try to get through different ways we have."Tomorrow is the first one, it is the Premier League, it is Liverpool. It is something we can feel as a special day because Liverpool last year won the Premier League, and this year we are on the same points, with more or less the same players.