Harvey Elliott has been the subject of intense speculation all summer amid his uncertain future at Liverpool.
The 22-year-old saw his minutes significantly reduced last season despite emerging as an important first-team squad member under Jurgen Klopp.
After Elliott’s starring performance at the Under-21 Euros this summer, a long line of interested parties made their interest move should he find himself on the way out of Anfield.
However, Graeme Bailey exclusively revealed to Rousing The Kop that Liverpool now want to retain Elliott beyond the 1 September deadline, even in the event that RB Leipzig match the demands set for the midfielder.
And the reaction to Elliott potentially staying with the Reds, until January at the very least, has certainly got the Liverpool fans talking.
Liverpool fans want Harvey Elliott to stay
Although widespread reports suggest the 22-year-old would welcome a move to Leipzig, Liverpool cannot afford to lose another first-team player in the final week of the summer transfer window.
Indeed, Elliott moving to the Bundesliga, particularly with Leipzig, would guarantee a regular starting berth, given that the German side are set to lose Xavi Simons to Tottenham.
Of course, the Reds would allow the England Under-21 international to depart if he wishes to do so, but there will certainly be plenty of opportunities to impress should he remain and fight for a place in the starting XI.
One fan wrote: “It’s a squad game. Liverpool have gutted out too many players at once. Kostas, I understand, but Elliott should stay. He has a positive attitude, is a solid player who can come on and keep the team ticking. Also, we don’t want a new team of strangers. It’s too much turnover.”
Another said: “Surely we need to keep him, where’s the squad depth if he goes? I’m sure he’ll get plenty of game time given the size of the senior squad.”
Meanwhile, one supporter echoed those sentiments, writing: “How is this a good thing? We will have a small squad going into the season again! The fans’ expectations are to compete on all fronts and win multiple trophies in a season, yet the message constantly from Liverpool is the exact opposite (via their actions).”
“Bonkers to sell him now. We barely have backup as it is, he’ll get plenty of game time this season as there’s no alternative. Would leave us very thin, and he can play multiple positions.” Another wrote.
The general consensus seems to be that the supporters do not want to lose another first team player, “Morton, Doak, and now McConnell, I’ll be gutted if Harvey Elliott leaves Liverpool as well, it’ll be too much for one window.”
Harvey Elliott can be a valuable asset for Liverpool this season
Journey back to the Champions League tie against PSG, when Elliott emerged from the bench to score the match-winner in the final minute of the first leg.
Go back even further, to Klopp’s final year at Anfield, when the rest of the squad was suffering heavily with fatigue, Elliott was a standout performer and helped keep the title race alive until it was mathematically over.
These are the types of players Arne Slot will need to remain competitive on all fronts this season; already, the supporters have seen Federico Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha scoring winning goals off the bench.
Florian Wirtz cannot be expected to play every three days throughout the entire season, and Curtis Jones will be needed as cover for the deeper roles. Regardless of those who believe the deal with Leipzig may be too good to turn down, it is far more valuable for Elliott to remain with the Reds.
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