Aston Villa news: Unai Emery reveals Harvey Elliott rationale as ‘fantastic’ loanee is left out again

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has addressed the status of Liverpool loanee Harvey Elliott, reiterating once again that he is ‘happy’ with the 22-year-old.

Elliott was not named in the matchday squad for Villa’s win against Leeds United at Elland Road on Sunday, the fourth consecutive Premier League match for which he hasn’t made the teamsheet.

The former England Under-21 captain, who joined Villa on loan from league champions Liverpool on transfer deadline day, was ineligible to play against the Reds but was also omitted for Villa’s wins against Manchester City and AFC Bournemouth before the November international break.

Emery’s latest Elliott comments

Elliott has played just 97 minutes in four Premier League appearances since signing for Villa on a season-long loan with a widely reported obligation to buy for a fee somewhere around the £35 million mark.

It’s also understood that the obligation clause is triggered by Elliott’s tenth appearance for Villa. That outcome feels further away than ever but Emery was asked about him before the Leeds game and was, as ever, full of qualified praise for the attacking midfielder.

“The team is going forward and being very demanding to achieve individual and collective performance, also the consistency we need,” said the Villa manager.

“Some players, they need more time, or we can speak about how he struggled last year, [Emi] Buendía, to achieve what he is doing this season. Harvey Elliott, he is working very well. He is working consistently. He is a good guy and his commitment to Aston Villa is fantastic.

“I am happy how he is doing his work here, but now it is difficult because he has other players playing and performing well, for example Emi Buendía and other players.”

What is going on with Elliott at Villa?

With Amadou Onana injured and the subsequent space on the bench filled by 18-year-old academy prospect George Hemmings, Elliott’s Villa future seems to have passed a significant milestone on Sunday.

For all Emery’s positive words, months of evidence points towards a lack of will on Villa’s part to put themselves on the hook for £35 million to bring Elliott in on a permanent basis.

The situation is highly unsatisfactory in every regard. It’s a disaster in a World Cup year for Elliott, who would surely not have agreed to the move if his delayed integration into the club was planned, for example, in order to defer the transfer fee hitting the books.

We can assume that Emery isn’t totally convinced about Elliott’s suitability, rightly or wrongly, at least to the tune of £35 million.

It reflects poorly on Villa’s football department as it was structured in the summer transfer window and hints at one possible reason for Monchi’s departure in its aftermath. Yet Emery is known to have huge influence on Villa transfer decisions and seems to have committed himself to a deal by which he’s not entirely convinced.

Ultimately, Villa are finding their way on the pitch and have moved into the top four in the table. If they don’t want to buy Elliott, they don’t have to. That’s obvious. But it’s a real shame Elliott is carrying the can alone.

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