Harvey Elliott has little chance of reviving his career at Aston Villa despite making his first appearance for nearly three months.
The on-loan Liverpool player completed 90 minutes as Villa fought back to beat Red Bull Salzburg 3-2 but it appears unlikely to change the mind of Villa boss Unai Emery.
This was Elliott’s seventh game and if he plays 10, Villa will be obliged to buy him for £35million. Emery does not want to do that, so the club must either renegotiate the terms of the loan with Liverpool or try to find another solution – which will be difficult as Elliott has played for both clubs this term, meaning he cannot represent another in Europe.
‘His situation doesn’t change,’ Emery insisted. ‘He played a fantastic game today but our idea with him doesn’t change.’
Emery also refused to engage with reports that Real Madrid have identified him as candidate to become their new coach next season.
It appears likely Madrid will be seeking a new man from the 2026-27 campaign and Emery, thanks to his proven track record over nearly two decades, maybe an attractive option. Emery also has links to super-agent Jorge Mendes, who has long had a strong working relationship with Madrid.
Yet when questioned about the reports, Emery would say only: ‘Nothing to say about it.’ The Spaniard is also hopeful that Ollie Watkins, who went off in the first half, has not suffered a serious injury, though he is now a doubt for Sunday’s Premier League clash with Brentford.
