Unai Emery
Harvey Elliott’s time at Aston Villa has been marked by limited appearances since joining the club on an initial loan deal. The 22-year-old midfielder has made only five appearances for the team since his arrival on deadline day. According to the loan agreement, if Elliott plays another five games, Villa will be obligated to pay Liverpool £35 million to secure his services permanently. Elliott was unable to participate in the match against his parent club, Liverpool, when Villa traveled to Anfield earlier this month. Additionally, he was left out of the matchday squads against Manchester City and Bournemouth. Unai Emery, Aston Villa’s manager, has previously expressed his view that Elliott’s best position is as a No. 10, but the competition for that role has limited his playing time. Emiliano Buendia, who was expected to leave Villa last summer, remains ahead of Elliott in the pecking order, having contributed six goals this season.
Unai Emery said: “He had an injury for 10 months, and after he was training with us. He needed time to get in everything – good, mentally, physically confident. He struggled last year and all the season, firstly with us for six months, not getting his performance and not playing consistently and not feeling really good. When he was on loan in Germany, with Bayer Leverkusen, he didn’t achieve his confidence. He didn’t achieve minutes. He didn’t achieve numbers to recover himself, like a player he is. He started so focused. He started the season very demanding, getting fit, feeling confident, playing with his skills, showing in each match he played in pre-season. Everything that happened around him, he deserved it because he worked hard to recover his best form as a player like he had before he was here. When we decided to keep him here, and he decided to stay here as well, I was confident he could get the numbers he is achieving.”
Emery continued: “It is everything, because the adaptation is something that some players need more than others. But the team is going forward and being very demanding to achieve individual and collective performance, also the consistency we need. Some players, they need more time, or we can speak about how he struggled last year, Buendia, to achieve what he is doing this season.”
Emery’s comments highlight the challenges Elliott faces in securing more playing time amid strong competition within the squad. Buendia’s resurgence and consistent performances have been significant factors in Elliott’s limited appearances. The Argentine’s ability to contribute goals and assists has solidified his place in the team, making it difficult for Elliott to break into the starting lineup. Emery’s focus on player adaptation and performance consistency underscores the competitive environment at Villa, where players must demonstrate readiness and capability to earn their spot.
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