Liverpool transfer twist as club seek new agreement for £35m PL winner

Liverpool have struggled to maintain their high standards in the Premier League this season, but are starting to find form again.

The Reds endured a torrid period that saw them fall into the bottom half of the table, creating a huge gap between themselves and title contenders Manchester City and Arsenal.

The reigning Premier League champions have turned things around to an extent in recent weeks and are now unbeaten in their last seven outings across all competitions.

Their last defeat came in the Champions League, when PSV Eindhoven won 4-1 at Anfield in late November, and in the league they have made enormous strides as a result of their resurgence, now sitting fourth in the table but still 10 points adrift of the top.

Liverpool’s struggles have been one of the hottest talking points of the season so far, with blame being directed in many areas, from the manager to the set-piece coach and the volume of changes made during their £450m summer spending spree.

The arrival of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez sparked expectations of going back-to-back in the title race, but the new additions have struggled to make a consistent collective impact so far.

During that recruitment drive, Liverpool parted ways with three key players in Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz and Harvey Elliott, all of whom have played crucial roles in the club’s success on Merseyside in recent years.

Alexander-Arnold and Diaz were sold on permanent deals, however the failed loan move for Elliott to Aston Villa has left supporters wondering whether he could return to Anfield in January.

The Villans signed Elliott on a season-long loan deal with a £35m obligation to buy, but his time at Villa Park has been far from ideal for either the club or the player.

According to The Athletic, Villa are now seeking to renegotiate the deal with Liverpool ahead of the January transfer window to allow the midfielder to return to the champions.

The publication claims the Midlands club are keen to offload Elliott and are willing to pay to break the clause that currently prevents them from sending him back to Liverpool in the new year.

It is stated that negotiations would not be straightforward, but the midfielder’s unhappiness is evident and Liverpool would be required to co-operate to find a solution that suits both parties.

There is no doubt that the situation is far from ideal for Elliott and for Liverpool, who currently have a wide range of midfield options available.

The writing was on the wall for the future of the 22-year-old England U21 international when the club signed Florian Wirtz, as his already limited game time was always likely to diminish further following the German’s arrival.

A move to Villa was full of promise for the midfielder, and it is disappointing that it has not worked out, however Liverpool could use this opportunity to help secure him a more suitable move.

If the Merseyside giants do reach an agreement to terminate Elliott’s loan, they may be able to find him a better opportunity elsewhere, where they could either cash in immediately on a permanent transfer or sanction a six-month loan move.

It is highly unlikely that Elliott returns and earns a place back in Liverpool’s starting eleven, and that scenario would not benefit either the club or the player moving forward.

As a result, finding a resolution at the earliest opportunity will be crucial, as any delay could block Elliott’s chance of securing a move away during the January transfer window.

Rebekka Arnold is an experienced writer with a strong background in digital media, PR and football journalism.

Since 2021, Rebekka has written opinion pieces and match reaction content for Football Fancast, part of the Snack Media network, building on her growing presence in the football community through viral Twitter content and podcasting.

Now at Transfer Tavern, Rebekka brings her sharp eye for analysis and deep passion for the game to deliver engaging football opinion and breaking transfer news content.