Elliott targets Liverpool revival after Iraola vows to treat every player as a new signing

Harvey Elliott is preparing to fight for his Liverpool future after new manager Andoni Iraola signalled that every player in the squad will begin the 2026/27 season on equal footing, regardless of what came before.

The 22-year-old endured one of the most frustrating campaigns of his career on loan at Aston Villa, making just four Premier League appearances under Unai Emery. A £35 million purchase option would have been triggered had Elliott reached 10 league starts, but Emery quickly moved on from the idea of signing him permanently. Elliott also made four Europa League appearances and one in the Carabao Cup before Villa attempted to send him back to Anfield in January — a move that was blocked because he had already represented two clubs in the same season.

With his career briefly in limbo, Elliott has wasted no time in getting back to work. Former QPR attacking performance coach Scott Chickelday, who runs the SC9 coaching service, shared footage of Elliott training ahead of pre-season, writing: “The hard work never stops! Back in with Liverpool attacker Harvey Elliott looking sharp! The movement on the ball on the first finish.”

The timing is significant. Iraola, appointed as Arne Slot’s successor this summer, addressed the squad’s situation directly at his unveiling, offering words that will have resonated with players who struggled for form or minutes last season.

“For me, and I will tell them, [they] are all new signings,” Iraola said. “I think we have a lot of quality in our squad, and [I’m] really looking forward to working with them.”

Iraola also noted that he had only previously worked with Milos Kerkez, the full-back who joined Liverpool from Bournemouth, meaning Elliott and most of the squad will be introduced to the new manager on genuinely fresh terms.

Elliott could benefit further from the scheduling quirk created by the 2026 World Cup. With several Liverpool players set to return late from international duty in North America, he may find himself among the first group to work closely with Iraola during the early stages of pre-season — a window that could prove decisive in shaping the new manager’s initial impressions.