Liverpool have been approached by Aston Villa to sign Harvey El;l

Aston Villa have made an approach to Liverpool to sign Harvey Elliott but face competition from West Ham United and clubs across Europe.

Liverpool signed Elliott from Fulham as a teenager in 2020 but he now appears to be close to an exit.

Playing just 360 minutes of Premier League football in Arne Slot’s first season, it’s clear that the Dutchman doesn’t view Elliott as an integral part of the squad – a point underlined by the acquisition of Florian Wirtz.

Aston Villa initiate contact with Liverpool to sign Harvey Elliott

According to a report from Team Talk, Aston Villa have approached Liverpool with the intention of signing the playmaker on a permanent basis.

West Ham United are also interested but it seems as though Villa are more advanced in their interest. Unai Emery’s side is said to be “confident” of landing the 22-year-old.

Liverpool are “not actively looking to offload Elliott” but are said to be “open” to offers as balance both within in the squad and the books is a priority before the window closes.

Villa and co. will need to offer in the region of £35m to land Elliott and with his contract running until 2027, Liverpool will not be likely to budge on that figure.

The report adds: “Negotiations are far from straightforward, with interest from European clubs adding complexity to the deal. Elliott’s versatility – he can play as an attacking midfielder or on the right wing – makes him an attractive prospect for clubs both domestically and abroad.”

Selling Elliott is unfortunate but Wirtz blocks his path to game time entirely

Last season, Elliott barely featured for Liverpool and now that they’ve also signed Florian Wirtz, it seems as though his pathway to regular game time is entirely blocked.

The £100m paid to Bayer Leverkusen for the German’s signature all but confirmed fears that Elliott would be made available for transfer this summer.

Yet, as much as it will be sad to see him go, it will be good to see him playing regularly and after he starred at the U21 Euros this summer, it’s the perfect time for him to leave and spread his wings.

In Jurgen Klopp’s final season at Liverpool, he put a lot of faith in Elliott and was rewarded with four goals and 14 assists. Hopefully, he can get back to putting up those kind of numbers wherever he lands up.