Spanish reporter Dario Puig, writing for Marca, has slammed Liverpool loanee Harvey Elliott, accusing the 23-year-old of being "well overweight" and "out of shape" upon his arrival at Valencia.
Elliott, who joined Valencia from Liverpool for the 2026/27 season after struggling to impress during pre-season, has yet to start a match for the struggling LaLiga club. Valencia are currently second from bottom in the league and have already replaced their head coach this season, with Carlos Corberan sacked and Javier Aguirre taking over.
Puig's article suggests that Elliott is "paying the price" for an "atypical pre-season" and that the current international break is essentially a "pre-season" for the midfielder. The reporter emphasized that Elliott has "three weeks" to get himself ready for the league's resumption in October, a crucial period he "should be taking full advantage of."
Adding to the pressure, Puig highlighted that Elliott is reportedly the third highest-paid player at Valencia, with the Spanish club covering most of his wages from Liverpool. The reporter argued that the player "should be held to that standard."
Since joining Valencia on loan, Elliott has played just 85 minutes out of a possible 360, and the team has lost all three games in which he has featured. This criticism comes less than 18 months after the attacker was a prominent figure for Liverpool during their Premier League win and for England U21s in their European title defense. Elliott's fortunes have taken a significant downturn, and he desperately needs to make an impact at Valencia to silence these weight-related accusations.
A potential positive for Elliott could be the change in coaching staff. He may have an opportunity to impress new manager Javier Aguirre during the international break while many of his teammates are away on duty.
