Harvey Elliott's Liverpool future, which had looked increasingly uncertain under Arne Slot, may have received an unexpected lifeline — courtesy of incoming manager Andoni Iraola.

The 23-year-old midfielder spent the 2025/26 season on loan at Aston Villa, where he managed just over 500 minutes across 11 appearances under Unai Emery, contributing a single goal. It was a steep decline from the 2,000-plus minutes he logged in each of the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons under Jurgen Klopp. Even during Slot's title-winning 2024/25 campaign, Elliott featured for only 867 minutes — a total that raised serious questions about his long-term place at Anfield.

Iraola's message to the squad

Speaking in his first interview as Liverpool manager, the former Bournemouth head coach delivered a message that could reshape Elliott's summer outlook.