Harvey Elliott ‘to be focal point for Liverpool’ as remarkable figures emerge
Harvey Elliott is rumoured to be seeking a move away from Liverpool before next season.
The England Under-21 midfielder is believed to be frustrated at his lack of minutes at Anfield and is open to move to a club where he’d be utilised more often.
Indeed, it’s believed that Liverpool will be inundated with offers for Elliott this summer.
Yet there’s data which supports the argument that he should be starting for Arne Slot’s side next season.
Data reveals impressive assist stats for Elliott
Elliott has the potential to be Liverpool’s top assist-maker from midfield for many years to come.
Footy Stats reveals that he led the way for Arne Slot’s side in terms of assists per 90 minutes played, with a ratio of 0.51.
This was just ahead of the Premier League’s top assist-maker Mo Salah (0.48), and way ahead of fellow midfielders Dominik Szoboszlai (0.22), Alexis Mac Allister (0.17), Curtis Jones (0.16) and Ryan Gravenberch (0.11).
Critics may point to Elliott’s lack of minutes in the Premier League last season. However, he also dominated his teammates for this statistic in 2023-24, when he played a lot more games. He had an assist rate per 90 minutes of 0.40 in that season.
Elliott could be key to Liverpool success next season
Arne Slot’s 4-3-3 doesn’t rely on creative output from the central midfielders.
Similarly to the system under Jurgen Klopp, the creative burden lies almost completely on the three forward players and the two full-backs bombing forward.
Meanwhile, his midfield three are told to prioritise pressing and progressing the ball to these creative players as efficiently as possible. The likes of Szoboszlai and Gravenberch have been widely praised for their ability to do this so efficiently.
However, if Slot doesn’t want to fall into the common trap of getting ‘found out’ in his second season, he’d be well advised to develop a Plan B to this strategy.
| Season | Appearances | Minutes Played | Assists | Assists Per 90 |
| 2024-25 | 18 | 356 | 2 | 0.51 |
| 2023-24 | 34 | 1,337 | 6 | 0.4 |
Elliott’s ability to provide assists from the centre could be a key part of this alternative strategy. At just 22 years old, there’s no reason why he couldn’t boost his assist stats even further.
Of course, there’s every chance that Elliott won’t settle for that and would prefer to be a ‘Plan A’ somewhere else. If so, he may prove to be a noticeable loss.
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