Aston Villa are progressing towards a loan deal for Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott, a report has revealed.
Elliott has spoken openly about his frustration towards his limited role at Liverpool last season, in which he played just 360 minutes of Premier League action. While the 22-year-old has publicly insisted he dreams of playing a greater role for Liverpool, he has acknowledged the need to prioritise his career at this point.
A summer exit has long appeared likely and Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig appeared to be leading the race after agreeing personal terms with Elliott, who they identified as a replacement for Xavi Simons following the Dutchman’s move to Tottenham Hotspur.
However, it is Villa who are moving ahead and The Athletic note negotiations over what would be an initial loan deal are progressing in the right direction.
Villa are working under tight financial restrictions and are, therefore, pursuing a deal which would revolve around an obligation to make the move permanent next summer.
The figures being discussed are not yet clear, but it was revealed earlier this summer that Liverpool would drop their asking price of £50 million ($67.5 million) down to £40 million if a buy-back clause was included.
Elliott would add to a Villa side which has lost plenty of attacking firepower this summer. Leon Bailey has joined Roma on loan, following Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio out the exit door after their own loan contracts expired.
The Villans are also progressing towards another loan deal to sign Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho ahead of the transfer deadline on Monday evening.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Harvey Elliott: Liverpool Midfielder ‘Closing in’ on Surprise Premier League Move.