Aston Villa player in limbo because as FIFA rules will block Leeds United or Brentford moves

Aston Villa have emerged as potential Premier League title contenders amid their eye-catching run of form. The Midlands outfit are having to juggle their domestic duties with Europa League action this season. Unai Emery’s side are finding ways to grind out results at this moment in time.

They won 3-2 away at West Ham last time out and dug deep to get another three points on the board. Emery’s men are back in action this weekend as they aim to keep their run going. They face a home clash against Manchester United in their final outing before Christmas.

Aston Villa update regarding Harvey Elliott future

Aston Villa swooped to sign Liverpool attacker Harvey Elliott on loan in the last transfer window. He has since struggled to make an impact at Villa Park though and hasn’t received much game time. As a result, his future is up in the air at this moment in time.

In this latest update regarding his situation, FIFA rules state he can’t play for another team this season: “Players may be registered with a maximum of three clubs during one season. During this period, the player is only eligible to play official matches for two clubs.”

Therefore, he has filled his playing quota for the rest of the campaign in Europe which is a shame for him. That means he won’t be able to feature for another team in the Premier League. He can return to Anfield and play for Liverpool but this is unlikely given the depth of the Reds’ midfield. Bizarre reports had linked Leeds United and Brentford with a move but the FIFA rules would prevent these from happening.

Elliott, 22, has played only five times for Aston Villa this term since his switch. He has been on the books at Liverpool since he joined them as a youngster from Fulham back in 2019. The Surrey-born man went on to make 149 matches for the Reds in all competitions and scored 15 goals, as well as having a loan spell away at Blackburn Rovers as a teenager to get some experience under his belt.

What has Aston Villa boss Unai Emery said about Harvey Elliott’s future?

Most signs point towards Elliott cutting ties with Aston Villa next month. He move there hasn’t worked out and he needs to go somewhere he is guaranteed a starting position. There isn’t much point him sticking around if he isn’t going to play at all.

Emery shared this update earlier this month: "We are speaking with him and about his situation. He is not here with us. First, my decision and also the situation. He is on loan playing with us, but he is not definitely adding to us with a permanent contract.

"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 in his career with us or not."