Unai Emery makes “embarrassing” Harvey Elliott admission

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Harvey Elliott is set to watch from the sidelines as Aston Villa and his parent club Liverpool face off on Friday evening. Image Credits: Imago ImagesUnai Emery has admitted Aston Villa’s handling of Harvey Elliott’s loan has become “embarrassing for everyone involved”, with the Liverpool loanee now set to head back to Anfield after a stalled season in the Midlands.The 23-year-old joined Villa on deadline day with a clause that would force a permanent £35m transfer if he made 10 Premier League appearances, a condition that quickly turned from opportunity into obstacle.That trigger meant Elliott was effectively playing with a financial trapdoor under his feet, and Villa’s caution saw him stuck on just four league outings and nine games in all competitions.Minutes were scarce, momentum non-existent and, as Arne Slot has already confirmed, the plan is now for Elliott to return to Liverpool for pre-season.For a player once hailed as a clever pick-up, this season has ended up feeling like a year on pause rather than a step forward.Emery has now broken his silence on the saga, conceding that explaining the decision “is very difficult” but accepting that the outcome reflects badly on all parties:“To now explain about the reason for this decision is very difficult, or it is easy, but it is not the moment,” he admitted as quoted by the Birmingham Mail.“Of course, it is something embarrassing for everyone involved.

My apologies for Harvey Elliott is every day in my mind, but it is about responsibility. We have our responsibility and Liverpool have their responsibility.”“It is something, as a human and as a person, how the season has gone has been difficult.”With Slot ready to bring Elliott back into the fold at Kirkby, the onus now shifts to Liverpool to ensure a season Emery admits has been “embarrassing” does not become career-defining for a player who, in his Slot’s own words, “certainly needs playing time”.