Joe Cole tells £40m star he ‘has to go away’ Liverpool this summer | Football

Joe Cole says Harvey Elliott ‘has to go away’ leaving Liverpool for a club that may guarantee him regular playing time.

Elliott enjoyed a brief break on the back of Liverpool’s title-winning season before jetting off with Lee Carsley’s England squad for this summer’s European Under-21 Championship.

Considering he made just two starts within the Premier League last term, Elliott might have been forgiven for starting out just a little rusty in England colors – however the midfielder was anything but in Slovakia.

The 22-year-old racked up five goals in six appearances to assist the Young Lions defend their title from 2023 and was subsequently named Player of the Tournament for his excellent contribution.

But now that the dust has settled on England’s celebrations, the teen faces a troublesome decision over his future at Anfield.

Based on talkSPORT, the Reds could be prepared to let Elliott leave should they receive a proposal within the region of £40million for the ex-Fulham man – and Newcastle have been credited with an interest, in addition to Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig.

Discussing Elliott’s options on The Dressing Room Podcast, ex-Liverpool, Chelsea and England winger Cole said: ‘He hasn’t played enough football.

‘He’s gone there [Liverpool], he’s 22 now. He’s got personality on the pitch.

‘Jurgen Klopp, when he left, said considered one of the regrets he had at Liverpool was he didn’t play this kid enough.

‘So he’s in this example where he’s won Player of the Tournament, he’s scored five goals from midfield.

‘A few of one of the best players on the earth have won that award and he checked out home, he looked like a frontrunner, he scored some great goals.’

Cole was convinced that Elliott had ‘made up his mind’ over his Liverpool future after watching the teen give an ’emotional’ interview while working for Channel 4 on the U21 Euros.

He added: ‘He’s got a call to make. He hasn’t broken into the Liverpool team often, he’s 22… you may see it in him, he was getting emotional after considered one of the games when he did the interview for us on the TV.

‘What I took from that was that he was so blissful that he’s playing and being the person. I believed I saw it in his mind that he’s made up his mind.

‘Even when Liverpool say, “We would like you to remain”… unless he’s saying, “I want to begin each game”, which they’ll’t offer him, he has to go away.’

Cole’s former England team-mate, Micah Richards, meanwhile, can understand Elliott’s frustrations given the limited playing time he was given by Arne Slot last season.

Nevertheless, Richards, discussing Elliott’s predicament on The Rest Is Football podcast, said there was ‘not a probability’ he would sell the midfielder if he was in Liverpool’s position.

‘If I’m Liverpool, I’m not selling him. Not one bit! I’m not selling him!’ the ex- Manchester City defender Richards said.

‘It’s much like the Cole Palmer situation when he was at Manchester City. Okay, you’ve got Phil Foden, you’ve got Kevin De Bruyne on the time and other young players coming through…

‘But I just think, if he [Elliott] could get a very good Premier League team on loan for the season [then he should stay at Liverpool].

‘Mohamed Salah signed a two-year deal and a 12 months from now he won’t be the identical player that we’ve been used to over time.

‘Elliott can play that position so well and I’d just wait. 

‘I wouldn’t eliminate him now, not a probability.’

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