Brighton and Borussia Dortmund are at the forefront of the race to sign Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott, with the 21-year-old midfielder struggling for game time under Jurgen Klopp’s successor, Arne Slot.
Elliott had a standout season under Klopp last year, his best since moving to Liverpool from Fulham six years ago. However, a serious ankle injury has disrupted his progress, and since returning to full fitness in November, he has featured only sparingly.
This season, Elliott has made just nine appearances in all competitions and has yet to start a Premier League match. According to reports from The Sun, Liverpool is asking for a transfer fee between £35m and £40m for the player, who is still expected to attract attention from potential suitors.
In November, Slot acknowledged the difficulty of Elliott’s recovery, stating that the player needed time to regain his form.
“We’ve had to be patient with him,” Slot said, drawing comparisons to Ibou Konate’s own recovery from injury. “It’s normal for players to take time to get back to their best. Harvey’s training again, but returning to peak form takes time, and we must be patient with him.”
Meanwhile, Slot has spoken about Federico Chiesa’s struggles to break into the starting lineup at Liverpool, noting that he has made just four appearances this season, including one Premier League start.
Chiesa has faced challenges in terms of match fitness, partly due to missing pre-season with Juventus before his £10m move to Anfield in August. With competition from the likes of Mo Salah, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota, and Luis Diaz, Chiesa has found it hard to get minutes on the field.
“It’s not just about Federico,” Slot explained. “The others are also contributing, and we have to give him time to catch up with the fitness of the squad.” Despite these hurdles, Slot is hopeful that both Elliott and Chiesa will play crucial roles as the team enters a demanding second half of the season.