It is a big summer for every Liverpool player as they look to make an impression under Andoni Iraola, with the hierarchy of the Arne Slot era blasted away by the club’s decision to sack the Dutchman.
For Harvey Elliott, the call to get rid of Slot and install the former Bournemouth boss must have felt absolutely huge.
Had things gone to plan, Elliott would not even be a Liverpool player right now, but having watched on helplessly as Aston Villa chose not to hand him the 10 appearances which would have triggered his permanent exit from Anfield, he is now back and ready to make it count.
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Had Slot still been in situ, it is highly likely Elliott would have been sold this summer. However, the 23-year-old has made the most of the changing guard by reporting early for pre-season, and with Iraola watching on, Elliott has set about giving himself the chance of an unlikely rebirth with the Reds.
Elliott can make himself indispensable to Iraola
Although there has been some action at the AXA Training Centre this week, Liverpool are not officially back for pre-season training until Monday.
Iraola will hold his first press conference as Reds head coach that morning, and Elliott could be one of the topics up for discussion.
The former Fulham youngster came back to work with the Liverpool U21s to make sure he was out on the training pitches for Iraola’s first look at his new players, and for a manager who clearly prizes work-rate and attitude, this will surely have registered.
On paper, it is not only Elliott’s demeanour as a hard-working, positive character which make him a good fit for Iraola, but he also has on-pitch characteristics which could work in his favour too.
Although not the quickest, Elliott is a relentless presser, and with Iraola set to bring back a ‘heavy-metal’ style to Liverpool, the No. 19 is someone who could really suit that.
Not every supporter will agree about that, but it is true that in football, like in every walk of life, first impressions really do count, and if Elliott can become an early reference point for Iraola on the training pitch, he can definitely turn things around.
The Reds are without many forward options right now – especially on the right side – and while this is perhaps not Elliott’s best position, he can definitely do a job there.
This could also work in his favour, and with players also arriving back late in midfield, Elliott has the opportunity to show Iraola that he can play multiple roles within his set-up.
Iraola has to decide quickly on Elliott
Another thing which could work in Elliott’s favour is that a decision over his future is going to have to be made very quickly.
Liverpool cannot afford to lose him on a free transfer, and with only one year left on his contract, that is becoming a real possibility.
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As a result, Iraola must make a call after only a few weeks of working with Elliott. Can he use him, and potentially give him a longer-term future at Liverpool, or is he surplus to requirements?
If the latter is true, then the Reds must put Elliott straight on the market, and accept that they may be looking at a fair bit less than the £35m fee they’d agreed with Villa 12 months ago.
If Iraola is not quite sure, then the smart thing to do is probably keep Elliott around and give him a further chance to show that he can still make an impact. As he will surely impress the new boss with his attitude and love for the club, this feels the most likely scenario at the moment.
Even if things do end up going the other way and Elliott leaves, he at least has this window of opportunity to fight for his future at the club of his dreams. He has already set about seizing that, and it would not be a surprise to see him grab it with both hands in the weeks ahead.
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