Harvey Elliott (signed on loan)

[eye digress]

Yes, so was a similar "exotic football instrument".

[N'ZMAV]

Liverpool could play hardball and say "tough shit, your problem, soz" - purely because if they accept him back, he can't play anywhere else until next season

[eye digress]

But that doesn't help them much, as the player's value would decline after a period of perma-benching (at best).

[Crown Hill]

I tried to post on Sunday on the match thread - but then someone was a bit rude - but Elliott’s absence from even the bench now suggests we are in discussions with Liverpool to take him back.  We certainly would have room for him otherwise.

[Sexual Ealing]

I tried to post on Sunday on the match thread - but then someone was a bit rude - but Elliott’s absence from even the bench now suggests we are in discussions with Liverpool to take him back.  We certainly would have room for him otherwise.

Cod piece face.

[Somniloquism]

I tried to post on Sunday on the match thread - but then someone was a bit rude - but Elliott’s absence from even the bench now suggests we are in discussions with Liverpool to take him back.  We certainly would have room for him otherwise.

I felt the final straw was him missing from the last Europa match rather then the league one as we have the ability to put more on the bench in those matches then in the Prem and he had missed out on matchday squads in the past.

[Percy McCarthy]

Liverpool could play hardball and say "tough shit, your problem, soz" - purely because if they accept him back, he can't play anywhere else until next season

Even if that happens, it’s still better for us to just pay him until June 30th, not play him, and avoid paying £30/35m for a player Unai clearly does not rate (or at least would rather spend that money elsewhere).

[Smithy]

Liverpool could play hardball and say "tough shit, your problem, soz" - purely because if they accept him back, he can't play anywhere else until next season

Even if that happens, it’s still better for us to just pay him until June 30th, not play him, and avoid paying £30/35m for a player Unai clearly does not rate (or at least would rather spend that money elsewhere).

Indeed.  The current position for Liverpool, if they say "no thanks" in January, is that we don't play him for the rest of the season, we just pay his wages while he sits in the stands, and he goes back to Liverpool in the summer as a depreciated asset because we don't trigger his release clause. 

In that situation, absolutely no one wins. We all lose. Liverpool get zero transfer revenue and a player back next summer worth less than he is today.  We don't get to use the player, despite paying his wages.  And the player himself loses a year of his career.  It's a bad situation all around.

But if we can come to some sort of commercial arrangement where Liverpool DO take him back, he can at least fight for minutes in Salah's AFCON absence, maybe get a few appearances to keep his value high if they get a few injuries or long cup runs.  It will cost us to do that, definitely, but if the cost is less than all of his wages for the rest of the year, then it's a deal worth doing.  Personally, if they were willing to take him back I'd be willing to pay all of his wages for the rest of the season at the very least, just to free up a loan slot that we maybe CAN use.

Another alternative is we negotiate away the buy-clause, and simply pay a loan fee for the season, so he can play in the second half of the season, but we're not obliged to buy him in the June.  But honestly, I think we risk a demotivated player in that circumstance, so it's almost as bad as having him here not playing.

If the club can do some sort of miracle deal where we can just hand him back and pay nothing, I will be both amazed, and hugely impressed - but honestly, I hope as much for Harvey's sake that the clubs find a way to at least give him a CHANCE of playing in the second half of the season.  I have a lot of sympathy for the kid's current predicament.

[Mister E]

Liverpool could play hardball and say "tough shit, your problem, soz" - purely because if they accept him back, he can't play anywhere else until next season

Even if that happens, it’s still better for us to just pay him until June 30th, not play him, and avoid paying £30/35m for a player Unai clearly does not rate (or at least would rather spend that money elsewhere).

Indeed.  The current position for Liverpool, if they say "no thanks" in January, is that we don't play him for the rest of the season, we just pay his wages while he sits in the stands, and he goes back to Liverpool in the summer as a depreciated asset because we don't trigger his release clause. 
In that situation, absolutely no one wins. We all lose. Liverpool get zero transfer revenue and a player back next summer worth less than he is today.  We don't get to use the player, despite paying his wages.  And the player himself loses a year of his career.  It's a bad situation all around.
But if we can come to some sort of commercial arrangement where Liverpool DO take him back, he can at least fight for minutes in Salah's AFCON absence, maybe get a few appearances to keep his value high if they get a few injuries or long cup runs.  It will cost us to do that, definitely, but if the cost is less than all of his wages for the rest of the year, then it's a deal worth doing.  Personally, if they were willing to take him back I'd be willing to pay all of his wages for the rest of the season at the very least, just to free up a loan slot that we maybe CAN use.
Another alternative is we negotiate away the buy-clause, and simply pay a loan fee for the season, so he can play in the second half of the season, but we're not obliged to buy him in the June.  But honestly, I think we risk a demotivated player in that circumstance, so it's almost as bad as having him here not playing.
If the club can do some sort of miracle deal where we can just hand him back and pay nothing, I will be both amazed, and hugely impressed - but honestly, I hope as much for Harvey's sake that the clubs find a way to at least give him a CHANCE of playing in the second half of the season.  I have a lot of sympathy for the kid's current predicament.

Well said, Smithy.

[eamonn]

Yeah, smartly laid-out. Smithy for Moderator!

[Clampy]

It's such a shame as he has the same kind of tenacity as Buendia which would come in handy late on in games and as the season goes on, we will probably pick up knocks. As unlikley as it seems, I hope something can be sorted as I think he'd be belting player here.

[Ian.]

Now you’ve sort this saga out Smithy, please can you address the Watkins thread.

[john e]

I feel sorry for the lad it’s not his fault he’s been caught up in an unknown situation

It’s definitely more than him simply not being good enough because we’ve got Guesand wobbling about clearly not being good enough, and we know he’s a useful player as he’s proved at Liverpool
Even if it is the reason someone fucked up badly in the recruitment area and has cost us lot of money plus we’ve not got another player which would be useful in his position or any other

[Brazilian Villain]

Now you’ve sort this saga out Smithy, please can you address the Watkins thread.

He'll get to it at the weekend, he's busy sorting out the Russia-Ukraine conflict atm.

[usav]

I feel sorry for the lad it’s not his fault he’s been caught up in an unknown situation

It’s definitely more than him simply not being good enough because we’ve got Guesand wobbling about clearly not being good enough, and we know he’s a useful player as he’s proved at Liverpool
Even if it is the reason someone fucked up badly in the recruitment area and has cost us lot of money plus we’ve not got another player which would be useful in his position or any other

Agree 100% and said this the other week. 

Credit to him for not doing a "Bruno" or a "Mo" and airing his grievances in public.