Valencia are leading the race to sign Liverpool winger Harvey Elliott, with Spanish club hoping to persuade the England Under-21 international to join Carlos Corberan.
The 23-year-old is attracting interest from several European clubs, including Lazio and Napoli, but Valencia are optimistic that the prospect of working with Corberan, the former West Brom boss, could help them secure a deal.
Liverpool have not yet received an official approach for Elliott, although the club are aware of the growing interest in the forward.
The clubs are exploring the possibility of another loan move after Elliott endured a difficult spell at Aston Villa last season. He joined Villa on loan with an obligation to buy for £35m after 10 games, but that arrangement did not develop as expected.
Liverpool are understood to be willing to listen to offers for Elliott and fellow out-of-favour forward Federico Chiesa, as reported by Daily Mail Sport earlier this week.
Neither player was included in Liverpool’s matchday squad for their Premier League opener at Newcastle last Sunday. Both had failed to impress Andoni Iraola sufficiently during pre-season.
Elliott’s 2025-26 loan at Villa Park proved particularly difficult. After selecting him for only a handful of matches, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery chose not to use him regularly and acknowledged that the situation had affected the midfielder.
He made only nine appearances for Villa and scored once during the campaign. Despite his limited involvement, Elliott still ended the season with a Europa League winners’ medal, having been an unused substitute.
Elliott reflects on difficult Villa spell
Speaking during Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the United States, Elliott described the mental and physical impact of his time at Aston Villa.
‘Mentally, it was a very tough one,’ he said. ‘(Going to Villa) was a learning curve. It was an opportunity for me to experience something new.
‘I don’t wish (the situation) upon any other player, because it’s not nice at all, but I have no hard feelings. I wish them all the very best.
‘I did really have a lot of love for them. They treated me as one of their own and for that I respect them highly.
‘But it was tough, mentally and physically. I’m on the other side of it now. I was able to get through it, and achieve something at the end of the season as well (winning a Europa League medal).’
Elliott joined Liverpool’s senior set-up after emerging through the club’s academy and has remained part of the first-team group, but his position at Anfield is now uncertain.
Valencia’s interest comes as Liverpool assess their options for the winger, while Lazio and Napoli are also monitoring the situation. No formal bid has yet been made, leaving the next step dependent on whether one of the interested clubs turns its interest into an official approach.
For now, Elliott remains a Liverpool player, but the club’s willingness to consider offers means a move away from Anfield is possible before the transfer window closes.
