Gary Lineker and Micah Richards have been in settlement as they suggested Liverpool to keep away from an enormous switch mistake just like one made by Manchester Metropolis within the not-too-distant previous.
A number of members of Arne Slot’s squad have been linked with an exit from the membership this summer season, together with Harvey Elliott, who put himself within the store window together with his starring performances on the European Underneath-21 Championship as England retained the trophy.
After they received the event two years in the past, one of many Reds participant’s teammates was Cole Palmer, who was with Man Metropolis on the time however would be a part of Chelsea a few months later, going from a peripheral presence on the Etihad Stadium to the star flip at Stamford Bridge.
Richards advises Liverpool to not promote Elliott this summer season
Richards made the comparability to the Blues talisman when advising Liverpool to not jettison Elliott simply but, and he went so far as saying that the 22-year-old might but be an in-house successor to Mo Salah at Anfield.
The previous England defender advised The Relaxation Is Soccer: “If I’m Liverpool, I’m not promoting him. Not one bit. I’m not promoting him. It jogs my memory of the Cole Palmer scenario when he was at Manchester Metropolis. Okay, you’ve bought Phil Foden, you’ve bought Kevin De Bruyne on the time, you’ve bought different younger gamers coming by way of.
“I simply suppose, for those who might get a great Premier League workforce on mortgage for the season, as a result of we preserve speaking about Salah. Salah signed a two-year deal.
“A 12 months from now, he [Salah] could possibly be, I don’t wish to say winding down, however won’t be the identical participant that we’ve been used to over time. He [Elliott] might play that place so nicely. I’d simply wait. I wouldn’t do away with him proper now. Not an opportunity.”
Lineker concurred with Richards’ evaluation as he replied: “I wouldn’t disagree with that in any respect”.
A good comparability, however will Elliott be content material with a cameo position at Liverpool?
The Palmer comparability is an fascinating one – just like Elliott now, he was struggling for minutes in a title-winning workforce earlier than a transfer elsewhere noticed him go from budding prodigy to real star.
Chelsea signed him for £42.5m two years in the past, a broadly equivalent worth level to what Liverpool would reportedly search for his or her quantity 19. It could have appeared a bet on the time, however the ex-Man Metropolis starlet’s switch worth has skyrocketed all through his time at Stamford Bridge.
Elliott definitely isn’t a participant who the Reds must be tripping over themselves to dump this summer season. He confirmed together with his performances on the European Underneath-21 Championship, and in cameos such because the late winner off the bench in opposition to Paris Saint-Germain in March, that he’s able to producing decisive contributions.
Nevertheless, he was already discovering it robust to get into Arne Slot’s beginning XI earlier than the arrival of Florian Wirtz, which might prohibit his minutes even additional, and the Englishman mightn’t be content material to dwell off substitute appearances for one more season at Anfield.
It’s a tough dilemma for FSG to ponder, and Palmer is a pertinent case examine in highlighting the hazards of casting a participant apart prematurely. Fortunately, it’s the form of choice that Liverpool have tended to get proper lately, and we’re assured that they’ll do the identical once more.
We’re in favour of retaining Elliott, however we wouldn’t need anybody to face in his method if he have been to hunt pastures new the place his abilities would have extra scope to flourish.