Elliott is star of U21s' run to final — so why does no one want to sign him?

Times

2 days ago

More than any other quality, it is largely agreed that what marks out the best is the ability to settle key matches with critical contributions.
At the European Under-21 Championship in Slovakia, Harvey Elliott, scorer of four goals, has been England's most important player in the knockout stage. He scored England's second in their 3-1 win against Spain in the quarter-finals, then produced two excellent finishes on Wednesday against the Netherlands to lead England into Saturday's final against Germany.
The Liverpool midfielder could feasibly win the player-of-the-tournament award, yet will return to Merseyside still mulling his future.
He made 28 appearances in all competitions this season, all but six of those as a substitute. He made three starts in the domestic cups, one in the Champions League, after Liverpool had secured their spot in the knockout phase, and two in the league, after Liverpool had won the competition.
Over the past year, however, his statistical profile is impressive. He had the benefit of coming off the bench with licence to attack but, per 90 minutes, he averaged: 0.66 goals; 0.4 expected goals; 3.49 shots; 0.33 assists; 0.18 expected assists; 8.8 progressive carries.
For a 22-year-old with considerable Premier League experience (94 matches), these numbers would usually command Liverpool's attention and have the selling club thinking they could generate a hefty transfer fee.
Yet Arne Slot, the Liverpoold head coach, has not been able to find a regular position for Elliott, who said a fortnight ago that he may need to consider his future at the club.
The key issue at Liverpool is competition. Elliott can play as a winger, a No10 or a No8, but at Liverpool there is no No10 and no player is displacing Mohamed Salah from the right wing — and that is before considering that Elliott interprets the position very differently from Salah.
He is neither as quick nor as strong, and prefers moving infield and linking play like a No10. He is not the type of winger to engage in one-on-one duels with the opposition full back, which necessitates a more conventional, overlapping full back to complement him (as Tino Livramento has done for England Under-21).
He is a bright player but, like a classic No10, needs the team to play to his strengths; in the system that Lee Carsley uses, he thrives, adding creativity and energy in the half-spaces and producing mazy dribbles and shots that are too hot to handle.
But to feature in midfield — the only other spot available in Slot's Liverpool team — players need to be fast, physical and suited to counterattacking and counterpressing.
It was telling that in Liverpool's win against Brentford in January, a game in which Elliott set up a goal for Darwin Núñez, the Englishman was brought on as Alexis Mac Allister was withdrawn. Mac Allister, at 5ft 9in, is two inches taller than Elliott — a rarity in an otherwise fast and physical side. Even Jürgen Klopp was reluctant to field a shorter XI in the Premier League.
It is not that Elliott does not do the defensive work but rather that Liverpool, and most elite Premier League sides, prize the ability to reach high top speeds, compete physically and manage counterattacks. Liverpool struggled with the latter when Elliott featured regularly in midfield in the 2022-23 season, which led to the club buying an entirely new midfield and ending their pursuit of Jude Bellingham.
The arrival of Florian Wirtz, for a potential fee of £116million, further complicates matters for Elliott, who is behind the Germany playmaker, Dominik Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones in midfield.
His numbers are so good that only Premier League clubs are likely to be able to match Liverpool's valuation of the player, yet a slightly less physically demanding league, like La Liga or Serie A, may be where Elliott could reach his true potential and dominate matches.
Elite, possession-dominant teams such as Inter Milan, where older players such as Hakan Calhanoglu and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have reinvented themselves, or Napoli, where Scott McTominay played a central role in their title triumph, may appeal to Elliott, and the pace of leagues like Serie A may help him shine.
Equally, there are teams in the Premier League that do not press or play an intense game, such as Aston Villa, who have been able to accommodate creative talents like Youri Tielemans in their XI by constructing the team around them.
Elliott has two years remaining on his contract. He signed from Fulham's academy aged 16 in 2019, for a compensation fee of £1.5million and a further £2.8million in add-ons. Fulham have a 20 per cent sell-on clause.
A significant sale would return sizeable profits for Liverpool. But finding a taker that suits both player and club — with continental teams far less financially endowed than English clubs — is the difficulty.
Yet as Chelsea's Cole Palmer — starved of minutes at Manchester City two years ago — showed, a move to the right club, with the right support and tactical licence after a successful Euros, can be the platform for launching a career.