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By DAVID KENT Published: 22: 58 AEDT, 6 February 2026 | Updated: 22: 58 AEDT, 6 February 2026 1 View comments Liverpool and Aston Villa have been urged to thrash out a deal that allows Harvey Elliott to resume his career without restrictions. The midfielder joined Villa last summer on a loan deal, which included an obligation to buy if the 22-year-old made a minimum 10 appearances for Unai Emery's side. Yet Emery does not rate Elliott highly enough to sanction a £35million transfer next summer and that has left the midfielder in limbo. He has now played seven times for Villa but between October 2 and January 29, did not feature at all, with Villa desperate not to trigger the obligation. Because Elliott has already played for both clubs this term, FIFA rules stop him joining another club. Daily Mail Sport revealed on February 2 that Villa and Liverpool were set for new discussions about Elliott's future but so far the clubs have not reached a solution. Among the options open to them are raising the appearance target or converting the obligation to buy into an option to do so. Speaking on the Football Boardroom podcast, former Liverpool managing director and Villa CEO Christian Purslow said: 'The deal that was done, maybe by (former Villa transfer chief) Monchi and not by (boss) Unai Emery, has a perverse incentive for Unai not to pick the footballer. 'That is utterly and completely dysfunctional. Nobody benefits. Common sense would suggest compromise is required. You have a quiet word with the two sides and try to get them together. Liverpool and Aston Villa have been urged to thrash out a deal that allows Harvey Elliott to resume his career without restrictions 'Unai needs to get together with the key player on the Liverpool side. This is Michael Edwards level - he is the CEO of football. He believed he had sold Harvey Elliott on a deferred transfer and it hasn't worked out. 'Unai and Michael in a room. Unai would say 'He's not going to play because we do not want to buy him. ' If I were Unai, I would say 'If I didn't have this contract hanging over my head, there is a really good chance Harvey would get plenty of football between now and the summer. 'I believe that if the three parties all agree, they could modify the agreement. Liverpool have plugged into their financial models that they will receive a transfer fee for Harvey next summer but he is not going to be bought by Villa. 'If I were Michael Edwards, I would think that if he gets more minutes at Villa between now and the end of the season, his value will be maintained higher. But if he doesn't play football for a purely contractual reason for the next four months, everyone loses. '
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