David Lynch: One Liverpool player has ‘accepted his fate’ as London duo eye late summer swoop | OneFootball

David Lynch has appeared to suggest that one Liverpool player seems resigned to the probability of needing to leave the club in order to play regularly this season.

The 2024/25 campaign was a triumphant one for the Reds but an often frustrating one personally for Harvey Elliott, who played just 822 minutes in all competitions and whose only two Premier League starts came after the title had been secured (Transfermarkt).

The 22-year-old was given little more than six minutes off the bench in the Community Shield on Sunday, another reminder of his peripheral status under Arne Slot, and RB Leipzig are reportedly in talks over a potential move for the star turn of England’s European under-21 triumph earlier in the summer.

Lynch: Elliott has now ‘accepted his fate’ at Liverpool

In his latest Substack column, Lynch assessed several players who may yet follow the likes of Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz out the door at Liverpool in the next three weeks, and the Reds’ number 19 was one of those amid rumoured interest from two London clubs, along with the aforementioned Bundesliga side.

The journalist wrote: ‘Another player to have accepted his fate is Harvey Elliott, whose potential minutes in midfield and on the right wing have been further limited by the arrivals of Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong.

‘RB Leipzig are the current favourites, though they need to offload Xavi Simons first to secure funding and open up a spot in the team. Should that move fall through, then it could bring Premier League clubs back to the table, with Tottenham and West Ham among those to have expressed an interest.’

(Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Hard to stand in Elliott’s way if he were to seek an exit from Liverpool

Elliott was one of Liverpool’s most-used players in Jurgen Klopp’s final season in charge, when he featured in 53 games, but he’s found game-time much harder to come by under Slot, even when accounting for his two-month layoff with a foot injury last autumn.

It comes as no surprise to hear of widespread interest in the 22-year-old, especially after his exploits at the European Under-21 Championship in June as he helped England to retain their title. The Athletic have cited a valuation of £40m-£50m for the ex-Fulham youngster, who unfortunately had his penalty saved by Dean Henderson in the shootout at Wembley yesterday.

If any prospective suitor is willing to stump up that figure, it could be impossible to resist for the Reds, especially when the Londoner is seemingly resigned to not getting much of a look-in under the current head coach and has already spoken about his need to be ‘selfish’ when it comes to deciding on his future.

The worry for Liverpool is that, having already sold Nunez and Diaz this summer and lost Diogo Jota after a fatal car crash, they could be light for attacking depth if they were to also part with Elliott.

His value as a squad player is huge and he’s proven that he can make an impact off the bench (think back to Paris Saint-Germain in March), but at the same time it’d be hard to stand in his way if he were to desire a move elsewhere for the upcoming campaign.

It’s a tough one for the Anfield hierarchy to call. Let’s just hope that nobody has any regrets over whatever decision is eventually made.