Harvey Elliott’s difficult start to life at Valencia has taken another turn, with Spanish media launching a fresh attack on the Liverpool loanee.
The 23-year-old joined Valencia on loan for the 2026/27 season after struggling for regular opportunities at Liverpool and enduring a disappointing spell at Aston Villa last campaign.
However, his move to Spain has yet to provide the fresh start he was hoping for.
Elliott has made just 85 minutes of a possible 360 for Valencia so far, with the club struggling near the bottom of the LaLiga table. The situation has become even more complicated following the departure of Carlos Corberan, with Javier Aguirre now taking charge.
Spanish reporter makes brutal claim about Elliott
According to Marca journalist Dario Puig, Elliott arrived at Valencia in poor physical condition.
Puig described the Liverpool midfielder as being “out of shape” and claimed he was “well overweight for his physique,” suggesting that the player is now “paying the price” for an unusual pre-season.
The report argues that the current international break gives Elliott an important opportunity to work on his fitness and prepare himself for the return of LaLiga action in October.
The criticism has also been linked to Elliott’s status at Valencia, with the Spanish club reportedly covering most of his Liverpool wages.
Elliott desperately needs a turning point
The criticism comes at a difficult period in Elliott’s career.
Just 18 months ago, the youngster was enjoying one of the best periods of his career after helping Liverpool win the Premier League and starring for England Under-21s as they retained their European Championship title.
Since then, however, his progress has stalled.
His loan spell at Aston Villa failed to provide the breakthrough he wanted, while his early weeks at Valencia have produced limited playing time and three defeats in the matches in which he has featured.
With Aguirre now in charge, Elliott will hope the managerial change can give him another opportunity to prove himself.
The next few weeks could be crucial for the Liverpool loanee as he looks to regain his fitness, earn the trust of his new manager and finally show Valencia supporters what he can do.
