Who Is Harvey Elliott? Inside Liverpool’s Teen Sensation Turning Heads in the Premier League

Harvey Elliott is poised to swap Anfield for Villa Park after Liverpool and Aston Villa reached a late-window agreement that will send the 22-year-old midfielder on a season-long loan with an obligation to buy, multiple outlets report. The deal, expected to be finalized before tonight’s Premier League transfer deadline, is believed to include a purchase clause worth around £35 million, allowing Villa to secure Elliott permanently next summer if performance targets are met. Why Liverpool sanctioned the move • Midfield congestion: Jürgen Klopp added Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and teenage sensation Stefan Bajčetić to an engine room that already features Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch, leaving Elliott facing reduced minutes. • Financial upside: a £35 m obligation would represent a sizable profit on a player signed for a tribunal-set fee that topped out at £4.3 m in 2021. • Pathway for academy talent: Academy graduate Bobby Clark has impressed in preseason, and Liverpool view him as the next creative option off the bench. What Aston Villa gain • Tactical flexibility: Unai Emery wants an attacking No. 8 who can drift wide; Elliott’s ability to operate in half-spaces mirrors the role Emi Buendía played before his ACL injury. • Home-grown depth: With Jacob Ramsey still recovering from a metatarsal fracture, Villa need a ball-progressor who satisfies the Premier League’s home-grown quota. • Long-term upside: Elliott is under contract at Liverpool until 2027, so the Midlands club would be buying peak years if the obligation is triggered. Current status of the deal Elliott has already been given permission to travel for a medical in Birmingham, according to Sky Sports News. Paperwork must be lodged with the Premier League and EFL’s Transfer Matching System before the 11 p.m. BST deadline. Player profile at a glance • Age: 22 • Position: Right-sided central midfielder / inverted winger • 2024-25 Premier League minutes: 218 • Key stat: 0.26 expected assists per 90 last season — third highest among U-23 midfielders in England’s top flight. What comes next If the move is completed, Elliott could make his Villa debut on 14 September against Tottenham, giving Emery another creative outlet ahead of a congested Europa Conference League calendar. Liverpool, meanwhile, are not expected to seek a replacement, confident that Szoboszlai and Jones can share right-center duties. Bottom line Aston Villa are on the cusp of landing one of England’s brightest young talents in a cleverly structured loan-to-buy deal, while Liverpool free up squad space and bank a potential windfall. With just hours left in the window, all eyes now turn to the official announcement—and to whether Elliott’s next chapter can propel Villa’s European ambitions while reaffirming Liverpool’s reputation for profitable player trading.