BRING HIM HOME: FANS DEMAND ARNE SLOT RECALLS STRUGGLING HARVEY ELLIOTT
Harvey Elliott is overlooked at Aston Villa, sparking fan calls for Arne Slot to recall him. Due to FIFA rules, returning to Liverpool is his only escape from the bench.
It looks like Arne Slot may face calls to bring Harvey Elliott back to Liverpool. The midfielder is struggling for game time at Aston Villa.
The England U21 player has only played in five games for Villa, starting in only two. To make it worse, Unai Emery hasn't put him in the Premier League squad since the Tottenham game in October.
Elliott was left out again during Villa's 2-1 victory over Arsenal. Jadon Sancho was chosen for the squad instead, even though he hasn't played well recently. After a late goal, Villa is now second in the league.
Emery said that Emiliano Buendia's good performance, which has helped his Villa career recently, is one reason why Elliott hasn't been playing much.
Liverpool fans have been using social media to ask Slot to bring Elliott back to Anfield. One X user said, Another Villa game without Harvey Elliott. Bring him home!
Another user said, I'd rather he were on our bench than theirs. He deserves better.
Someone else said, "It's ridiculous that Harvey Elliott can't even make the bench for Aston Villa." I like and respect Unai Emery, but better managers than him have found plenty of work for Harvey.
Reports say that Villa's choice to sign Elliott was mainly because of Monchi, the club's former president of football operations. Monchi left less than a month after Elliott came to the team, which may be due to disagreements with Emery about transfer targets.
Elliott is in a tough spot now. FIFA rules say a player can't play for more than two clubs in one season. Since he has already played for Liverpool and Villa, his only options are to either break into Villa’s first team or go back to Liverpool under Slot. Right now, both seem unlikely.
Football Insider reports that Liverpool isn't happy with the situation. Both clubs are expected to talk before the January transfer window, when Elliott might be brought back.
Slot said he knows how Elliott must feel as he struggles to get playing time at Villa. During a press conference before Liverpool's game with Leeds, the Reds manager seemed to feel for the 22-year-old’s situation.
Slot said he hasn't talked to him much; I haven’t had contact with him a lot, I think only once or twice, and that was before he played Feyenoord away and after, Slot said. But that had more to do with him playing against a former club of mine, so no, I haven’t spoken to him.
“I am aware of his situation, of course. I knew how difficult it already was for him over here, so I think I know how he feels at this moment, but you should ask those questions at Villa and not over here when it’s about his playing time.”
IBRAHIMA KONATé NEARS OFFICIAL LONG-TERM CONTRACT EXTENSION, SECURING FUTURE AT LIVERPOOL
Ibrahima Konaté confirms he is close to signing a new Liverpool contract, securing his future amid a major squad overhaul.
Ibrahima Konaté is set to sign a new long-term deal with Liverpool, finally putting all the rumours about his future to rest.
His contract was up this summer, and people kept linking him to clubs like Real Madrid. But after Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Everton on Sunday, Konate made it clear he never planned to leave. He’s become a regular since joining from RB Leipzig, and he told reporters negotiations with the club have been going on for a while. Now, the agreement’s almost done.
“We’ve been talking with the club for a long time,” Konate said, according to the Liverpool Echo. “We’re close. Honestly, I think everyone wanted this, and we’re nearly there. There’s a good chance I’ll be here next season; that’s what I always wanted.”
He’s just waiting for the paperwork to go through, but once it’s official, he’s sure sporting director Richard Hughes will be happy to share what Konate told him months ago.
“It’s taken a while, yeah, but that’s how negotiations go,” he added. “Just like with Van Dijk and Mo Salah last season, they signed in April. Maybe this is just how the club handles these things.”
Liverpool is set for a big summer change. Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson are both expected to leave after nearly a decade, and van Dijk is now in the last year of his contract as he approaches 35. Naturally, there's a lot of talk about who steps up as leader in the dressing room next.
The club has already lined up some fresh faces. Jeremy Jacquet, the £60 million centre-back from Rennes, is on his way, and promising defender Giovanni Leoni is working his way back from an ACL injury he picked up last September.
Konate turns 27 next month, and he’s ready to step up and help lead the club into a new era. “I already act as a leader for the younger guys, for my own generation, everyone, really,” he said. “That’s just part of football. The legends move on, and then it’s our turn. I’ve been preparing for this for years, and especially over the last few months.”
“It’s a big responsibility, though. I can’t do it all alone. I’ll need everyone’s help.”
He also mentioned once more that he hopes people go and hear Richard Hughes’s side of the contract talks, saying, “Just wait till it’s all sorted, then ask him what I told him months ago before all the noise started.”
It’s been a tough season for Konate. Liverpool’s form has been erratic; they’ve lost 17 games in all competitions, including 10 in the league. Off the field, things have been even harder; Konate lost his father in January. He admits the last few months have been rough both personally and on the pitch. Still, he’s keeping positive and looking forward to what’s next, for himself and for Liverpool.
MAMARDASHVILI STRETCHERED OFF: LIVERPOOL TURN TO THIRD-CHOICE WOODMAN FOR DERBY GLORY
Liverpool wins 2-1 at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Arne Slot praises debutant Woodman after Mamardashvili injury.
Arne Slot shared that Giorgi Mamardashvili had to be taken to the hospital after suffering an injury, which unexpectedly handed Freddie Woodman his debut in the Merseyside derby for Liverpool.
Mamardashvili left the pitch on a stretcher following extensive treatment for a leg wound caused during Everton’s equaliser by Beto, while Mohamed Salah had opened the scoring earlier at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Stepping in once more for the hampered Alisson Becker, Mamardashvili was replaced by Woodman, who managed to keep a clean sheet as Liverpool clinched a dramatic victory thanks to Virgil van Dijk’s injury-time header in the 248th derby.
With both Alisson's and Mamardashvili’s recoveries uncertain, it looks like Woodman could be gearing up for his first Premier League start at home against Crystal Palace on Saturday, the same team against which he made his Liverpool debut in the League Cup defeat last October.
Slot commented, “Giorgi had to go to the hospital with a big wound, so we’ll have to wait and see how he’s doing.
“But Freddie deserves a lot of credit. Coming in just after conceding the equaliser, when the crowd was already expecting an Everton goal, he really stepped up.
“He stayed composed at a tricky moment, when he hesitated about whether to catch the ball, but kept his nerves steady.
“Freddie’s worked hard for this chance. Usually third-choice goalkeepers don’t get many opportunities, but given how this season has unfolded, anyone playing even in the under-8s at Liverpool should be ready to make their debut; it’s quite something to witness.”
Liverpool had already been without Hugo Ekitike and Joe Gomez, who played against Paris Saint-Germain last Tuesday. Slot named only eight players on the bench for the Everton match, including academy goalkeeper Armin Pecsi.
He added, “Is there anything surprising about the injury situation this season? Maybe not, since I had two goalkeepers on the bench today, which isn't typical. But of course, it’s related to the availability of other positions as well.
“Freddie did a great job.”
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