By Simon Wilkes
Arne Slot has expressed his happiness that Harvey Elliott wants to stay at Liverpool, having been linked with a move from Merseyside this summer.
The 22-year-old’s campaign has been hampered by a foot injury that kept him sidelined for nearly three months.
Then Elliott had to watch on as Slot’s Reds marched to Premier League glory, sealing the crown of champions with a thumping win over Tottenham at Anfield last weekend.
The midfielder has struggled for game time this season, making just 14 appearances off the bench, and rumours suggested he may struggle to get into Slot’s first-team plans.
Brighton and Borussia Dortmund have been mooted as potential suitors in the 2025 summer transfer window.
READ NEXT: Premier League betting tips: Liverpool eyeing Chelsea double, Everton to down Town
Back to old level
But jubilant manager Slot insists he is in his plans now he is ‘back to his old level again’.
The former Feyenoord boss has exceeded all expectations since replacing Jurgen Klopp in the Liverpool hot-seat.
And he told the press on Friday: “Harvey Elliott is one that maybe hasn’t had the gametime he deserves, but like some others, he’s in competition with good players and also partly because he was injured for some time.
“I’ve been honest with him, the first part after he came back from his injury, he wasn’t the same as he was before.
“But in the past few months, he’s back to his old level again, but there was no need for me to start with different players. I like him more now than I did when he came back from his injury.”
Keen to stay
Elliott told the Liverpool Echo earlier this week that he wants to stay and fight for his place, saying: “Any minutes for Liverpool are amazing.
“Hopefully I am still here to be honest. It is the best place to be, the best club to be at and especially having the fans around us at the moment, I don’t think there is a better place to be playing.
“Players go through ups and downs but at the end of the day you have to come out fighting and I think it is within myself to make it happen.
“Hopefully I can stay here for the rest of my career.”
Slot added: “First of all, it’s very important that players here with us would like to stay. That’s a big compliment to everyone working here.”
READ NEXT: Liverpool transfer news: Midfielder Harvey Elliott plays down Anfield exit talk
Liam McLaughlan