Iraola drops brutal clue Liverpool are about to offload luxury player – ‘I prefer other options’
A Liverpool star who has endured a nightmare couple of seasons doesn’t appear to have a future at Anfield if comments made by Andoni Iraola are anything to go by, with AC Milan now circling, according to a report.
The final days of the transfer window are shaping up to be busy ones for Liverpool, even after the Reds finally struck an agreement for their biggest signing of the summer.
Bradley Barcola will arrive to the tune of £100m, with add-ons potentially taking the final fee to £120m.
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Another winger after Barcola is still wanted, and if Liverpool succeed on that front, Cody Gakpo will be given permission to leave, with Tottenham the frontrunner for his signature at present.
Another who could depart is Harvey Elliott whose career has come to a standstill over the past few seasons.
He was used infrequently by Arne Slot in Liverpool’s title-winning campaign in 2024/25. He spent the 2025/26 season loaned to Aston Villa, though featured even less.
The 23-year-old is now back at Anfield, though Elliott was omitted from Liverpool’s matchday squad for their Premier League opener with Newcastle last weekend.
Federico Chiesa didn’t make the cut either, though his omission was due to injury. Elliott’s, according to Reds boss Iraola, was simply a matter of choice.
Andoni Iraola’s brutal verdict on Harvey Elliott
When explaining why Chiesa and Elliott weren’t involved versus the Magpies, Iraola said (as quoted by James Pearce): “Different circumstances. Chiesa felt something versus Como and he’s not available.
“With Harvey, I can only choose 20 (in the matchday squad). It’s about finding the balance on the bench.
“Harvey is trying and improving every week but still I prefer other options.”
Among the surprise names to make the bench ahead of Elliott included James McConnell and Lewis Koumas, the latter of which made an appearance as a substitute.
In truth, Elliott lacks the athleticism and pace to play as a winger, while Florian Wirtz has his favoured No 10 position locked up for now. If Wirtz is rested, substituted or dropped, it’ll be Dominik Szoboszlai assuming the more advanced role.
As such and with Elliott not suited to a deeper midfield role, there appears to be no place for the talented attacker at Anfield, and he clearly doesn’t have the manager’s backing either.
According to CaughtOffside, AC Milan could come to the player’s rescue, just as bitter rivals Inter Milan came to the rescue of Curtis Jones who was in a similar situation.
They stated there’s a ‘concrete chance’ Elliott leaves before the window closes, and Milan view the playmaker as a ‘standout’ option.
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