Harvey Elliott is set to return to Valencia’s squad for Saturday’s clash with Real Madrid at Mestalla after missing the previous match through suspension. The fixture has added significance for the Englishman, who toured Madrid’s facilities and had the chance to join the club seven years ago.
Elliott caught the eye of clubs across Europe in 2019 when he became the youngest player to appear in the Premier League at the time, making his debut for Fulham at 16 years and 30 days old. Real Madrid moved quickly, inviting him to the Spanish capital for a tour of the Santiago Bernabéu and the club’s training base at Valdebebas.
According to AS, Elliott was impressed by the reception he received. But when Madrid offered him the chance to meet their then captain Sergio Ramos, his mind went back to the previous year’s Champions League final, which he had watched from the stands in Kyiv with his father.
Mohamed Salah went off with a shoulder injury after a tangle with Ramos that night. Liverpool went on to lose 3–1 as Madrid claimed their 13th European Cup. For Elliott, Salah was one of the players he looked up to most.
Elliott later told The Athletic how he responded to the offer. “No, thanks. I don’t like him after what he did to Mohamed Salah.” According to AS, the incident was one of the reasons Elliott decided against joining Madrid.
Barcelona were also interested, but Elliott chose Liverpool as soon as their offer came in. The Reds announced his signing from Fulham in July 2019, and he soon found himself sharing a dressing room with Salah.
Elliott joined Valencia on loan from Liverpool this season after a previous loan spell at Aston Villa. Heading into the Madrid fixture, he has made six appearances for Valencia, all off the bench, for a total of 152 minutes.
He is back in contention after being sent off in the derby against Villarreal, a dismissal Valencia head coach Javier Aguirre described as “absurd”. It is now up to Aguirre to decide whether Elliott will get minutes against the club that tried to sign him at the start of his career.
