January 10th 2025.
Ever since his return from injury, Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott has not been given much playing time by manager Arne Slot. It seems that both Brighton and Borussia Dortmund are interested in signing the 21-year-old, who had a successful season under Jurgen Klopp last year. However, since his injury, he has only made nine appearances and has yet to start a Premier League game.
According to reports, Liverpool would be looking for a fee of around £35-40 million for Elliott, who is sure to attract many suitors. Slot, who took over from Klopp as manager, has spoken about Elliott's injury and the impact it has had on his playing time. "We always want all of our players available and it was a blow for him and for us that he got injured for such a long time," he said.
The England Under-21 international has been training with the team since his return in November, but it takes time to get back to one's best after such a serious injury. Slot compared Elliott's situation to that of teammate Ibou Konate, who also struggled after a long absence from playing. "We have to give him time to come back to his normal level," Slot added.
Slot also spoke about another player, Federico Chiesa, who has not been given much playing time since his move from Juventus in the summer. The Italian has only made four appearances so far and has yet to start a Premier League game. Slot believes that Chiesa has to prove himself to the team and compete with other forwards like Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez, and Mo Salah for a spot in the starting lineup.
"It's not only been difficult for him in terms of match fitness, it's also that he has to compete with the likes of Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Mo Salah," Slot said. He also acknowledged the impact Salah has on the team and how it is difficult to take him out of the lineup. "Everybody here knows the numbers Mo Salah brings in. There's not many times a reason to take him out during a game or before a game," Slot explained.
In terms of Chiesa's limited playing time, Slot mentioned that it was also due to his late arrival and not having a proper pre-season with the team. "It's a combination of reasons why he didn't play that much yet but let's wait and see in the upcoming weeks and months if he's able to help us because the second half of the season is even more important than the first," Slot concluded.
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