Harvey Elliott has reaffirmed his love of Liverpool after his side's match against Lille, but Reds expert David Lynch has insisted that the attacker's future at the club is still up in the air.
Elliott came on from the substitutes bench on Tuesday and managed to score his first ever Champions League goal at Anfield when his side beat Lille 2-1, cementing their spot in the round of 16.
The attacker is yet to start a Premier League or Champions League game this campaign, though, and his lack of playing time has sparked speculation that the Englishman could leave the club in the upcoming transfer windows.
While Lynch told Sports Mole that Elliott remains committed to Liverpool, his future is a topic to monitor, saying: "He's a huge Liverpool supporter. I've spoke to people around him - there's no desire on his part to leave. He would like to play more, but we're a long way from the point where he's forcing a move. He really wants it to work at Liverpool because he loves the club, he supports it, it's his boyhood team.
"What is counting against him at the moment is the manager's shown he doesn't have massive faith in him, and he's getting to the point where he'll be two years out from the end of his contract come the end of this season, and that's decision time from the club's perspective about what they do with him. It's certainly one I'd say to keep an eye on."
Elliott has only played 59 minutes in the Premier League in 2024-25 under Arne Slot, whereas he played 1,352 minutes last term in the top flight under Jurgen Klopp.
Why has Szoboszlai featured more than Elliott?
When Slot arrived at Liverpool and replaced Klopp, many assumed that the Dutchman would adapt the German's aggressive style of play towards a system that was less physically demanding, but Slot has so far shown that he still values athletic qualities in his players.
Dominik Szoboszlai has predominantly played as the Reds' number 10, but he has been vital for the team's defensive efforts, often tracking opposition midfielders to prevent overloads while covering for the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Ryan Gravenberch.
Lynch believes that these qualities separate Elliott from Szoboszlai in the pecking order, telling Sports Mole: "It's hard to see where he would have got his opportunities up to this point in the season. Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones have really battled their way in.
"That's the big difference between him and Szoboszlai - he's got more craft in the final third [while] Szoboszlai's a blunt instrument, but in games like Brentford, if you had started [Elliott], I think Brentford would have got a lot more joy on the counter-attack because Szoboszlai covers so much ground and is able to get back and make the extra man on both sides of the ball. That's the key difference."
In the Champions League this season, Szoboszlai has clocked a top speed of 34.5km/h - the same as Salah and the joint third fastest in the Liverpool squad - while Elliott has recorded a top speed of 30.1km/h, the 19th fastest and third slowest of those to have featured in Europe this term for the Reds.
© Imago
Elliot's qualities are still valuable
Liverpool might be six points clear of second-placed Arsenal in the Premier League, but if Slot is to win the title in his first season in charge, he will undoubtedly have to rely on his entire team.
The Reds are still in four competitions and look like they will go deep in the Champions League, so it could be essential for the manager to utilise the likes of Elliott, even if only to rest starters.
Elliott also possesses qualities that other players such as Szoboszlai and Jones do not, something that Lynch was keen to emphasise when he told Sports Mole, adding: "I was really glad that he got a chance to show [his qualities] against Brentford because we've seen it so many times under Jurgen Klopp. He was so good in those situations, coming into that right-hand half space where he just causes chaos.
"Really good way of passing, intelligent movement, and he did it again and [he was] so key to that first goal, and then he sets up the second as well. I think he proved a point to Slot there.
"What's surprising about it is [his ability to play] in tight spaces, being good at penning sides in - which he really is because of the way he manipulates the ball and moves the defence around - these seem like qualities that would really fit a slot team. You saw in pre-season, he was such a good fit for that, so it's so strange that he hasn't seen the pitch more."
Darwin Nunez grabbed the headlines for scoring twice against Brentford, but Elliott played pivotal roles in both goals, and his influence could be key against teams that choose to defend deep against Liverpool.
Lewis Nolan
