‘Paying the price’ – Spanish media rip into Harvey Elliott after difficult start to Valencia loan

Unfortunately for the Englishman, he’s yet to start for a club who are second bottom in the table and have already changed their head coach this season, with Carlos Corberan sacked and Javier Aguirre hired as his replacement.

Elliott accused of being ‘well overweight’ at Valencia

In an article written by Dario Puig for Marca, Elliott was accused of being ‘out of shape’ and ‘well overweight for his physique’ after an ‘atypical pre-season’ for which he’s now ‘paying the price’.

The reporter claimed that the international window is effectively a pre-season for the 23-year-old and that he has ‘three weeks’ to get himself primed for the resumption of the LaLiga campaign in October, a time of which he ‘should be taking full advantage’.

Puig noted that the on-loan attacker is currently the third highest-paid player at the Mestalla – with the Spanish club covering most of his Liverpool wages – and that he ‘should be held to that standard’.

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Elliott’s fortunes have nosedived in the past 18 months

If Elliott was hoping that his loan move would provide him with a clean slate and a chance to start afresh after his miserable time at Aston Villa, unfortunately that hasn’t been the case so far.

He’s played just 85 of a possible 360 minutes for Valencia since joining them on loan, and his side have lost all three games in which he’s featured (Transfermarkt).

It was less than 18 months ago that the attacker was riding the crest of a wave after Liverpool’s Premier League triumph and his starring role for England under-21s as they retained their European title.

How Elliott’s fortunes have nosedived since then, and he could really do with making an impact for his loan club sooner rather than later so that the accusations about his weight will become forgotten.

Perhaps the change of coach will work in his favour and he’ll be able to make an immediate impression on Aguirre at the training ground whilst a few of his teammates are away on international dity.