Liverpool manager Arne Slot has been handed advice on Harvey Elliott
Liverpool have been warned they could live to regret the decision to sell Harvey Elliott this summer with the England Under-21s hero reportedly having made a clear preference on where to play next amid strong interest in his services from Newcastle United.
The 22-year-old was left kicking his heels on the sidelines for much of last season after failing to convince Arne Slot he was worthy of regular inclusion in the Liverpool side. Limited to just three starts across the Premier League and Champions League all season, Elliott was at least able to let his talent shine on the UEFA European Under-21 Championships stage, which England won at the weekend for the second successive time.
However, despite his stock never having been higher, his future at Anfield has never looked more bleak and, in light of the club record arrival of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for a package ultimately worth £116m (€140m, $162m), Elliott‘s time on Merseyside is set to come to an abrupt halt.
Linked with both RB Leipzig, following a personal endorsement from the group’s global director of soccer, Jurgen Klopp, the Bundesliga side look set to battle Newcastle United for his signature this summer.
And with sources confirming to us that Elliott – described as “exceptional” by his former Reds boss Klopp – is reluctantly ready to green-light a move away from his beloved Reds knowing he can’t afford to waste his time rotting on the sidelines, we understand it is Newcastle who look best placed to win the transfer race.
However, not everyone thinks his sale is a good idea and pundit Micah Richards has warned Slot could live to regret his sale.
“If I’m Liverpool, I’m not selling him. Not one bit! I’m not selling him,” former Manchester City star Richards said on The Rest Is Football podcast.
“It’s similar to the Cole Palmer situation when he was at Manchester City. Okay, you’ve got Phil Foden, you’ve got Kevin De Bruyne at the time and other young players coming through…
“But I just think, if he [Elliott] could get a good Premier League team on loan for the season [then he should stay at Liverpool].”
Liverpool to insert crafty buy-back clause in any Harvey Elliott sale
It’s understood Liverpool have told suitors that any deal for Elliott must contain a buy-back clause – able to be activated in two years – in any deal worth £40m (€46.6m, $54.3m).
Alternatively, potential buyers can navigate their way past that by paying the Reds a larger, £50m (€57.7m, $68m) fee, to land the 22-year-old ‘clause-free’.
And while Elliott is not adverse to a move abroad, he does see himself operating at the very top level and potentially for a club who can offer him Champions League football. That would put Newcastle firmly in the driving seat for a deal, given they can offer the player that, while Leipzig will begin the 2025/26 campaign without any form of European football for the first time since 2016.
We can also confirm that manager Eddie Howe is a huge admirer of Elliott and would love to bring the player to St James’ Park this summer ahead of their return to the Champions League.
Discussing a possible future away from Anfield last month, Elliott admitted: “I don’t really want to be wasting years of my career because it’s a short career.”
Richards, meanwhile, reckons Elliott could adapt his role and be used by Liverpool as a long-term heir to the legendary Mo Salah, when the Egyptian king is ultimately forced to call it a day or decides to take up a lucrative offer to move to Saudi Arabia.
“Salah signed a two-year deal and a year from now he might not be the same player that we’ve been used to over the years,” Richards added.
“Elliott can play that position so well and I would just wait. I wouldn’t get rid of him now, not a chance!”
Richards’ colleague, Gary Lineker, meanwhile, can fully understand why there is such strong interest in signing Elliott.
“It’s an interesting decision for him because they’ve obviously brought other players in, Florian Wirtz has come in who is another forward/midfield player,” Lineker said.
‘What a tournament he had. If it’s not going to happen for him at Liverpool, I think there would be a host of clubs that would be keen to sign him.”
Liverpool transfer latest: ‘Wage-structure breaking’ Isak deal coming; West Ham link
Meanwhile, confidence is ‘growing’ that a ‘historic agreement’ is close to being reached for Alexander Isak, with Liverpool finally learning once and for all just how likely they are to sign the world-class Newcastle striker this summer.
Elsewhere, one of West Ham’s best players has reportedly made it clear he is ready to make the move to Liverpool and play for Slot, with the news also serving as a blow for Tottenham Hotspur prospects of pinching him from their London rivals.
And finally, Liverpool’s hopes of signing Marc Guehi are rapidly accelerating.
That’s after a journalist revealed an ‘agreement in principle’ has been struck over the 24-year-old – while Palace could hand some cash straight back with a raid on the Reds of their own.