Arne Slot Pastikan Harvey Elliott Kembali ke Liverpool Musim Depan

Manajer Liverpool Arne Slot mengonfirmasi bahwa gelandang Harvey Elliott akan kembali ke Anfield untuk menjalani sesi pra-musim 2026-2027 setelah melewati masa pinjaman yang sulit bersama Aston Villa sepanjang musim ini.

Pemain berusia 23 tahun tersebut kesulitan mendapatkan menit bermain di Aston Villa karena adanya klausul finansial khusus dalam kesepakatan peminjaman antar kedua klub Premier League tersebut.

Aston Villa memiliki kewajiban untuk membeli Elliott secara permanen seharga 35 juta poundsterling jika sang pemain berhasil mencatatkan 10 penampilan di Premier League musim ini.

Namun, Elliott tercatat hanya tampil sebanyak empat kali di liga domestik dan sembilan kali di seluruh kompetisi, dengan total durasi bermain berkisar antara 277 hingga 284 menit.

Pihak Aston Villa sempat berupaya menghapus klausul kewajiban membeli tersebut, tetapi proses negosiasi dengan Liverpool tidak membuahkan hasil karena kedua tim bersaing ketat memperebutkan tiket kualifikasi Liga Champions.

Situasi ini memicu tanggapan langsung dari manajer Liverpool menjelang pertandingan tandang melawan Aston Villa pada Jumat malam.

"I think for him, for everyone, it didn’t work out as he wanted it, as we wanted it and probably also how Villa wanted it, because you usually sign a player or bring him in on loan to use him." kata Arne Slot, Manajer Liverpool.

Slot menilai minimnya menit bermain sangat disayangkan bagi pemain muda berbakat yang sempat tampil impresif bersama tim nasional Inggris U-21 pada kejuaraan Eropa musim panas lalu.

"That hasn’t happened a lot. That’s not for me to answer why that is. But of course, it’s never nice for a player not to make so many minutes, especially after the season he had with us, where he made – I assume – even more minutes with us than these 280." ujar Arne Slot, Manajer Liverpool.

Manajer asal Belanda tersebut menegaskan bahwa Elliott tetap menjadi bagian dari skuatnya di awal musim mendatang mengingat kontrak sang pemain yang masih berjalan.

"He went over there to get more playing time, but unfortunately that didn’t happen." ucap Arne Slot, Manajer Liverpool.

Slot juga menambahkan bahwa Elliott bergabung dengan tim yang diisi oleh banyak pemain berkualitas tinggi sehingga persaingan internal menjadi sangat ketat.

"And for such a talented player that did so well in the U21 Euros [last summer], you want a player like that to get more and more playing time." tutur Arne Slot, Manajer Liverpool.

Kendati demikian, Slot enggan berkomentar lebih jauh mengenai keputusan taktis tim lawan yang jarang menurunkan sang gelandang dalam dua tahun terakhir.

"He went to a very, very good team as well, where they also have a lot of good players. I don’t know why he hasn’t made the minutes he was expecting. That’s not for me to answer." sebut Arne Slot, Manajer Liverpool.

Slot menutup pernyataannya dengan menegaskan status kepemilikan sang pemain yang akan segera kembali ke Merseyside.

"But it’s always a pity if a player hardly plays for two years, let alone a player of that age that has shown during the [U21] Euros that he’s such a good player." jelas Arne Slot, Manajer Liverpool.

Sesi konferensi pers tersebut juga menegaskan bahwa sang gelandang akan terikat kontrak resmi bersama kubu Anfield hingga tahun 2027 mendatang.

"He’s contracted to us so he will be with us in the start of the season." pungkas Arne Slot, Manajer Liverpool.

Di pihak lain, Manajer Aston Villa Unai Emery menyampaikan permintaan maaf secara terbuka terkait kegagalan Elliott menembus skuat utama musim ini.

"To now explain about the reason for this decision is very difficult, or it is easy, but it is not the moment." ungkap Unai Emery, Manajer Aston Villa.

Emery mengakui situasi ini memicu rasa canggung bagi seluruh pihak yang terlibat dalam kesepakatan transfer pada hari terakhir bursa transfer September lalu itu.

"Of course, it is something embarrassing for everyone involved." aku Unai Emery, Manajer Aston Villa.

Emery menegaskan bahwa keputusan tersebut murni merupakan kombinasi antara kebijakan bisnis klub dan tanggung jawab bersama dengan pihak manajemen Liverpool.

"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." tambah Unai Emery, Manajer Aston Villa.

Secara personal, Emery merasa jalannya musim ini sangat berat bagi perkembangan karier Elliott yang akhirnya harus melewatkan laga hari Jumat dari bangku penonton.

"It is something, as a human and as a person, how the season has gone has been difficult." keluh Unai Emery, Manajer Aston Villa.

Sebelumnya pada bulan Februari, Emery sempat menjelaskan keputusannya kepada Elliott terkait dilema antara kebutuhan performa olahraga dan kebijakan finansial klub.

"I spoke with him. We have been fair because there are two ways: one way is a sport, the second is business." terang Unai Emery, Manajer Aston Villa.

Emery mengklaim telah membuka kesempatan bermain bagi Elliott, namun kendali penuh atas perubahan klausul kontrak sepenuhnya berada di tangan pihak Liverpool.

"We'll be fair in case, because we are trying it, and I told him, we are opening the door to play with us, because he can help us." papar Unai Emery, Manajer Aston Villa.

Emery menilai keputusan olahraga untuk memainkan Elliott terhambat oleh keberadaan klausul pembelian permanen bernilai besar tersebut.

"But it's not only in my way and on my side. The other side is Liverpool. If they take off the clauses to play matches and for us to buy him, (I said to him) 'You are going to play here with us, it's a sport decision.'

"But now it's a sport decision and a business decision. My sport decision is still there, 'You are deserving to play, we need your qualities in the field, you are going to play.' But in case the clauses are still there, now it is Liverpool – they have the key." lanjut Unai Emery, Manajer Aston Villa.

Manajemen Aston Villa mengklaim telah berdiskusi dengan Liverpool sejak tiga bulan sebelum bursa transfer Januari ditutup, namun tidak mencapai kesepakatan.

"And I told him, it will be fair for him in case Liverpool take off this clause. We are speaking about it (taking off the clause), but not (just) now. We started speaking about it three months ago. Of course, the transfer window finished on Monday." jabar Unai Emery, Manajer Aston Villa.

Emery memuji sikap profesional dan kesabaran yang ditunjukkan oleh Elliott meskipun perkembangannya di lapangan hijau terhambat akibat regulasi kontrak ini.

"It will be fair for him, because he's a calm guy, good guy, and he's a fantastic professional. And then his qualities are there." puji Unai Emery, Manajer Aston Villa.

Emery menyadari bahwa situasi ini merugikan sang pemain, namun dirinya harus tetap menghormati keputusan bisnis yang telah disepakati oleh manajemen Aston Villa sejak awal musim panas.

"Of course, he must play, and he's really being patient. And I know we are damaging him, because we got a deal with Liverpool in the summer and the deal is there, and we are respecting the decision and taking the sporting decision responsibly from my side." sambung Unai Emery, Manajer Aston Villa.

Emery menegaskan bahwa nasib Elliott bisa saja berubah jika Liverpool bersedia melunakkan sikap mereka terkait klausul penampilan tersebut.

"It can change for him, in case Liverpool take off this clause. If they don't want to, okay, but the player is getting damaged." tutup Unai Emery, Manajer Aston Villa.

Mantan kepala pemandu bakat Manchester United Mick Brown memprediksi Elliott akan dilepas secara permanen oleh Liverpool pada bursa transfer musim panas mendatang demi menyelamatkan kariernya.

"Leeds want to be ambitious in the transfer market." kata Mick Brown, Mantan Kepala Pemandu Bakat Manchester United kepada Football Insider.

Brown menilai Elliott merupakan pemain berkualitas yang mampu memberikan dimensi baru bagi lini serang klub seperti Leeds United.

"Harvey Elliott is somebody who could really improve their team. He’s a quality player and would bring something different that they haven’t already got." puji Mick Brown, Mantan Kepala Pemandu Bakat Manchester United.

Namun, Brown memberikan catatan mengenai posisi bermain terbaik Elliott yang dinilai masih belum konsisten antara sektor tengah atau penyerang sayap.

"I would have to ask questions about what his best position is – will they play him in the middle or could he play out wide? That’s the issue he has." analisis Mick Brown, Mantan Kepala Pemandu Bakat Manchester United.

Brown menyarankan agar Elliott mencari klub baru yang mampu memberikan jaminan menit bermain reguler setiap pekan setelah menyia-nyiakan satu musim di Aston Villa.

"After everything that’s happened at Aston Villa, he’s got to get back to playing regularly. Wherever he goes next season, because he’s not going to be part of Liverpool’s plans, he needs assurances that he is going to play every week." saran Mick Brown, Mantan Kepala Pemandu Bakat Manchester United.

Menurut laporan Football Insider dan BILD, selain Leeds United, klub Bundesliga RB Leipzig juga dilaporkan tertarik mengamankan jasa Elliott jika mereka gagal merekrut penyerang Brighton, Brajan Gruda.

"If Leeds can offer him that, it would be a very good destination for him to go and reignite his career because he’s wasted a year on loan at Aston Villa. It’s difficult to understand why they agreed to the deal in the first place, it really is terrible from them, but now the focus has to be on his next steps." pungkas Mick Brown, Mantan Kepala Pemandu Bakat Manchester United.