Harvey Elliott behaviour speaks volumes amid Aston Villa nightmare after Liverpool transfer

Unai Emery has revealed that discussions are taking place regarding Harvey Elliott's loan spell as the 22 year old's Aston Villa ordeal drags on. Elliott has featured in just five matches for Villa since arriving on loan from Liverpool back in September.

Should the Reds loanee clock up 10 Premier League outings for Emery's squad, he will become a permanent Villa player. In doing so, the Midlands club will fork out a £35million transfer fee. To date, Elliott has made four league appearances, with only one of those as a starter.

The arrangement had appeared to be a promising opportunity for Elliott. He managed only two outings under Arne Slot last season and Villa looked like a suitable platform to secure more playing time. However, this hasn't materialised, as Emery acknowledges.

"We are speaking with him and about his situation," the Villa manager said. "He is not here with us. Hopefully, we can get the best for him and the best for us.

"I respect him as a player and as a person. He is training well, but we have one circumstance with him. Hopefully, we can get a solution for him to try to play consistently and try to continue his career with us or not.

"I have spoken with him two or three times about the situation we have with him. Firstly, my decision and the situation.

"Firstly, my decision is a sport decision and secondly, he's on loan playing with us. He's not definite to move to us with a permanent contract."

Despite being in a transfer quandary, Elliott's attitude appears to be winning over Emery - a seasoned manager. The 22 year old hasn't thrown in the towel despite not getting game time.

His commitment in training is nothing new for Villa. A report from The Athletic last month revealed that Aston Villa's staff were pleased with Elliott's attitude and dedication during training sessions. He's also reportedly taken Emery's tough love in his stride.

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As demonstrated by Mohamed Salah's tumultuous situation at Liverpool, it can be tempting for a player to rebel against their club when things aren't going as planned.

However, Elliott, still in his early 20s, is displaying remarkable maturity. His future remains uncertain, but if he does return to Liverpool, his diligent training will ensure he's ready to start should Slot decide to give him another shot.

Villa are next in action tonight as they travel to Switzerland to face Basel in the Europa League . If results go their way, Villa could end the day top of the Europa League group phase with a victory.

Liverpool's next clash is a pivotal moment for the club. It's crunch time for Mohamed Salah as Slot will decide whether he plays against Brighton on Saturday. The Egyptian international has hinted at that being his final game for the club.