HARVEY ELLIOTT could be afforded a career lifeline from the MLS this month.
After signing for Aston Villa from Liverpool last summer, much was expected of Elliott after winning player of the tournament and finishing as top scorer at the under 21s European Championships which England won.
He is currently on loan at Villa, who have the option to buy this summer for £35 million.
But that looks extremely unlikely to happen as the attacking midfielder doesn’t look to feature in manager Unai Emery‘s plans.
It wouldn’t appear that Arne Slot will recall him either, having spent £116 million last summer on Florian Wirtz, who plays in the same position.
Elliott, 22, is a very talented player who many Premier League clubs would be interested in signing, but that is something that cannot happen right now as he has figured this season for both Liverpool and Villa this season.
FIFA ruling states that a player is typically limited to playing official matches for a maximum of two different clubs within a 12-month period.
However, there can be exceptions to the rule.
One of them being that a player can play for third club if they move between associations with different season calendars.
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That applies to the MLS because their 2025 season concluded a month ago when Inter Miami beat Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the MLS Cup final.
With their 2026 season set to start in seven weeks, Elliott would be eligible to play – something he wouldn’t be able to do in Europe.
That could well open the door for a move to the MLS, as reported by the Daily Mail.
And with former Villa manager Dean Smith in charge of Charlotte FC, the North Carolina club are believed to be in pole position to land him.
For Elliott himself, it would be a short-term solution to his current predicament with him out of favour at Villa.
It was a transfer that came with lofty expectations, similar to Cole Palmer‘s move to from Manchester City to Chelsea in the summer of 2023.
That too came off the back of winning the Euros for England under 21s, before moving somewhere he could play week in week out – something that hasn’t happened for Elliott, who hasn’t played for three months.
No footballer wants to be left out in the cold and not play, which is what Elliott is doing.
But right now, his only way out of his current predicament would be a move away from Europe, with the MLS the most likely option.
