Iraola speaks out on Elliott's Liverpool future after 'strange' Villa loan spell

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Andoni Iraola has addressed the uncertain future of Harvey Elliott at Liverpool following the midfielder's difficult loan stint at Aston Villa. The 23-year-old has returned to Merseyside ahead of schedule after a season dominated more by contractual red tape than on-pitch action.

Iraola backs Elliott for Anfield revival

Iraola has opened the door for Elliott to revive his Liverpool career after a "strange" season away from Anfield. The Spaniard, who has taken the reins on Merseyside following Arne Slot's sacking, was full of praise for the midfielder’s attitude since returning to the club ahead of schedule to begin his pre-season preparations.

"Definitely," Iraola replied when asked if the 23-year-old still had a future at Anfield. "Harvey is here with us, I have seen him with the eagerness to show up, get super ready, he’ll have a chance in pre-season, we’ll need him and it’s a good sign." The manager's comments suggest a significant shift in tone from the previous regime, offering hope to a player whose career appeared to be in limbo just months ago.

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The embarrassment at Villa Park

Elliott’s time at Aston Villa was marred by a complex loan agreement that eventually saw him frozen out of Unai Emery’s squad. The deal included an obligation-to-buy clause worth £30 million that would be triggered once the midfielder reached predetermined number of appearances. Fearing the financial hit, Villa stopped playing Elliott to avoid permanently signing him, leading Emery to issue a candid apology for what he described as an "embarrassing" situation.

The tactical and financial standoff left Elliott sidelined for the majority of the second half of the season. Reflecting on this, Iraola noted: "I hope we can see him in a good place. I think Harvey comes from last season had to be difficult for him, strange situation, they couldn’t even play him and I think he uses this experience – the bad situation – to make himself even more eager to be a Liverpool player."

A disastrous deal for the player

From a professional standpoint, the move to Villa Park has been labeled as the most disastrous deal of the Premier League season for the player. Having excelled at the 2025 European Under-21 Championship, Elliott was expected to kick on, but instead, he managed only 109 minutes of top-flight action during his time under Emery. Despite the lack of rhythm, the 23-year-old has returned to the AXA Training Centre with a renewed focus.

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Opportunities in pre-season

With a busy pre-season schedule on the horizon, Iraola is keen to give fringe players and returning stars a platform to impress. The Spaniard emphasized that his first week has been spent evaluating the U21s and those who returned early, ensuring he has a complete picture of the talent available in the squad.

"I’ve had one week to see the U21s, first-team players there before too, some of them, so they are in a better shape," Iraola added. "I’ve seen a few here today who are ready for testing tomorrow, so I get in touch with every player and the young players and loan players more minutes on the pitch, academy players, maybe I wouldn’t know them normally but now I get to know them more."