Henry Winter shares what he felt after talks with Harvey Elliott’s father before Aston Villa transfer
Aston Villa managed to secure the signing of Harvey Elliott from Liverpool on transfer deadline day.
In what has the potential to be one of the signings of the summer, Villa managed to secure Elliott’s services on loan, with a £35million obligation included.
Although Liverpool have a buy-back clause for Elliott, the 22-year-old playmaker’s arrival in B6 has given Villa supporters plenty of reasons to be excited.
Now, Henry Winter has shared what Elliott’s father told him before his move to Villa Park.
Henry Winter shares Harvey Elliott’s father key to Aston Villa move
Elliott was not the only deadline day arrival for Unai Emery as Jadon Sancho also joined Villa on a season-long loan.
How far Sancho and Elliott can propel Villa up the Premier League remains to be seen, but the pair are almost certain to have a positive impact.
It was a big decision for Elliott to leave Liverpool, and it is one that was likely suggested by the 22-year-old’s father, who is also his advisor.
Winter shared on 2 September that he spoke to Elliott’s father and the player himself in Bratislava whilst Elliott was on international duty for England U-21s as they won the Euros this summer.
After chatting to Elliott’s father, he came away with the impression that:
- Elliott has good people around him advising him
- The youngster is driven and wants to make the most out of the talent he possesses
- He is a good character who will be a useful addition to Villa’s dressing room
Winter claims that playing under Emery will be beneficial for the attacking midfielders’ development.
How does Harvey Elliott compare with Emi Buendia?
Perhaps the most similar profile of player Villa have in their ranks to Elliott would be Buendia.
Like Elliott at Liverpool, Buendia did not have many starts last season as the Argentine playmaker was loaned out to Bayer Leverkusen in January.
However, both players are extremely talented, which is evident when they are utilised regularly.
| Stats | Harvey Elliott (Premier League 2023/24 season) | Emi Buendia (Premier League 2022/23 season) |
| Appearences | 34 | 38 |
| Starts | 11 | 27 |
| Total minutes | 1367 | 2421 |
| Goals | 3 | 5 |
| Assists | 6 | 2 |
| Key passes per game | 1.1 | 1.1 |
With Elliott being considerably younger than Buendia, who is 28, Emery has plenty of time to develop him even further, which is a scary proposition for opposition defences.
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