Harvey Elliott's hopes of featuring for Liverpool next season will hinge on their summer transfer business, according to The Athletic's James Pearce.
The Lowdown: Elliott completes excellent spell at Blackburn
The 18-year-old has spent this season on loan at Blackburn Rovers, enjoying a brilliant campaign for the Championship club. On Saturday, Elliott played his last game for the Lancashire outfit, scoring in their 5-2 win at home to Birmingham City, meaning he finishes the campaign with seven goals and 11 assists.
The key question now is whether or not the teenager will stay at Liverpool this summer or head out on loan again, with Jurgen Klopp set to make that decision in the coming months.
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The Latest: Pearce provides key update
Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic after Liverpool's 2-0 win at home to Southampton on Saturday night, Pearce said he would like to see Elliott remain on Merseyside, but the decision will depend on potential summer arrivals and departures at Anfield:
"I think it depends what happens this summer in terms of incomings/outgoings. I'd like to see him stay put next season. He's such an exciting talent."
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The Verdict: Keep hold of Elliott this summer
It is easy to get carried away about exciting young players - Rhian Brewster is a good example - but Elliott really does look like the real deal. The Championship is a tough league for a young player to make his mark, but he has taken it by storm and shown he can compete physically, also looking technically superior to those around him.
Elliott shouldn't be a regular starter for Liverpool next season, but he should take up the role which will likely be vacated by Xherdan Shaqiri, if reports of a possible Anfield departure come to fruition.
Another loan move certainly wouldn't be a bad thing, but the silky attacker is ready to be a squad option, maturing as a player at the same time and eventually becoming a star at Liverpool.
In other news, there has been another update on Liverpool's pursuit of Ibrahima Konate. Read more here.