Report: Messi to face Premier League winner as MLS Eastern Conference team eyes Liverpool midfielder
With the start of the new year, transfer rumors have intensified. The winter transfer window has opened in Europe, while Major League Soccer clubs are ramping up their efforts to finalize their rosters. In that context, a rival of Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami is reportedly interested in a midfielder who belongs to Liverpool and plays in the Premier League.
“Charlotte FC are prepared to offer Harvey Elliott the chance to play on loan in MLS until June,” reporter Fabrizio Romano reported Friday via his official X account. “Elliott, likely to return to Liverpool after being unused at Aston Villa on loan. Decision up to the player.”
The 22-year-old midfielder has not had the expected level of involvement with the Villans after being loaned out by Liverpool at the start of the 2025–26 season. He has appeared in just five matches across the Premier League, the EFL Cup, and the UEFA Europa League, starting only two of them.
The limited role given to him by head coach Unai Emery in recent months points toward a possible early exit from Aston Villa. However, there is a significant obstacle to that scenario: after appearing in two matches for Liverpool earlier in the season — one in the Premier League and another in the FA Community Shield — Elliott is barred from joining another English club during the 2025–26 campaign, as players are prohibited from representing three different teams in the same season.
That restriction leaves Harvey Elliott with few realistic options. He can remain at Aston Villa and attempt to turn his situation around, return to Liverpool in hopes of earning more playing time, or leave the Premier League altogether in search of new opportunities.
MLS could be an attractive option for Elliott
There is no question that the Premier League is one of the most competitive tournaments in the world and a higher-level competition than MLS. Still, that does not mean Charlotte FC’s proposal lacks appeal for Harvey Elliott.
In recent years — especially since Lionel Messi’s arrival at Inter Miami— MLS has grown significantly in stature. That growth is reflected not only in the global attention the league now receives, with millions of fans following the Argentine star’s every move, but also in the increasing number of high-profile players who have joined the competition.
In the Western Conference, Los Angeles FC secured the signing of Son Heung-min from Tottenham Hotspur last summer, creating a major buzz. Thomas Muller also joined the Vancouver Whitecaps after leaving Bayern Munich. Other stars such as Hirving Lozano and Marco Reus have also made their mark in the West.
By contrast, in the Eastern Conference, most of the marquee names are concentrated at Inter Miami, with Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul alongside Messi, as well as rumors of other stars like Giovani Lo Celso potentially joining the club. Against that backdrop, the arrival at Charlotte FC of a player who won the Premier League just six months ago, such as Harvey Elliott, could be a major statement move that further elevates the league’s profile.