Former Liverpool managing director and Aston Villa CEO Christian Purslow has shared his assessment of why negotiations over Harvey Elliott broke down in January.

It recently emerged that Elliott's loan spell at Villa Park would convert to a permanent transfer if he features in ten league matches. Villa boss Unai Emery has previously made it clear that he has no plans to activate the £35 million clause in the agreement, reports Liverpool.com.

Consequently, Elliott has been left on the sidelines for the majority of the campaign. It has been stated, though, that the aforementioned clause only relates to Premier League games, allowing him to feature as frequently as Emery desires in European competition.

Emery confirmed that discussions had taken place about restructuring the agreement to remove the obligation to buy clause in Elliott's loan deal.

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