Six substitute appearances. 152 La Liga minutes. Not a single start. That is the sum of Harvey Elliott’s half-season on loan at Valencia, and the Spanish club is now preparing to send him back to Liverpool when the January window opens.

Football365 reports that Valencia are actively exploring ways to terminate the deal early, with a growing expectation that he will be sent back to Anfield in January.

Elliott’s most recent outing captured the trajectory: a red card against Villarreal, two bookings inside a 20-minute cameo off the bench.

Iraola sees no future at Anfield

Elliott joined Valencia in the summer hoping game time in La Liga would reset a career that had stalled at Liverpool and on an underwhelming 2025-26 loan at Aston Villa. Instead, Javier Aguirre’s side, fighting La Liga survival, has not viewed him as central.

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Back on Merseyside there is no door being quietly held open. Under new Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola, Elliott is not part of the first-team picture, and Liverpool have decided to cash in rather than let the contract drift toward its 2028 expiry.

Football Insider reports that sources at the club believe Elliott “has no future at Liverpool and would prefer a permanent move elsewhere in England rather than another loan move.”

Aston Villa had him for the 2025-26 campaign with a £35m conditional buy option that Unai Emery’s side avoided triggering by limiting his minutes.

Leeds move for a midfield creator

Leeds have tracked Elliott since the summer. With Liverpool now willing to sell rather than loan, Football Insider sources say the Elland Road club has been given fresh encouragement to move in January.

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No fee has yet been reported. Any permanent deal would represent a significant correction from the summer valuations that kept him at Anfield in the first place, but Liverpool’s priority, according to Football365, is to sell to a Premier League club rather than sanction a third loan.

The English transfer window opens on 1 January, when both Valencia’s termination and any formal Leeds bid can be filed.

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