ANDY DUNN Liverpool have spent a fortune but will be losing a gem if Harvey Elliott leaves

The arrival of Milos Kerkez takes Liverpool’s spending towards the £216million mark this summer and they might well decide to recoup some money by listening to offers for Harvey Elliott, who is shining at the U21 European Championships

One of the bugbears for the modern professional male footballer is that he is almost always observed through the prism of personal finance. He gets paid, let’s say, two hundred grand a week – he’s not allowed to be tired.

He gets paid two hundred grand a week – he’s not allowed to have a bad day at the office. He gets paid two hundred grand a week – he’s not allowed to have mental health struggles.

For the elite, the wages are so gargantuan that it is easy to forget footballers also play for the sheer joy the game can give and the pride of team sport. Most of Lee Carsley’s England under-21 squad are not on gargantuan wages – yet. But, financially, most are already well-set.

In a material sense, an under-21 tournament is not going to make a great deal of difference. But to see their commitment, passion and enthusiasm in Slovakia is something to behold.

It reflects brilliantly on Lee Carsley, the manager, but it reflects even more brilliantly on the young men themselves, especially those who are already fairly well-established at the highest level. They don’t need to be out in the sweltering heat of Slovakia.

Harvey Elliott has made almost 200 professional club appearances and will turn 23 on his next birthday. His fantastic performance and match-winning goals against the Netherlands in Wednesday’s Euro semi-final were eye-catching but everyone has known for some time that he is capable of those sorts of things.

As we like to talk money, they won’t – contrary to what some Liverpool fans posted on social media – add any noughts to a transfer fee or to his next contract. But his attitude, character and leadership out in Slovakia should give Elliott an array of options if he does, as seems likely, leave Anfield before the beginning of next season.

It is abundantly clear Elliott loves the game, is emotional about it. It clearly hurts him that he is unable to command a regular starting role under Arne Slot. And the addition of Florian Wirtz to the Liverpool squad is not going to make that any more likely.

Judging by how little Slot used Elliott last season – he started only six games – the writing is on the wall for the boyhood Liverpool fan. As Milos Kerkez arrived at Anfield for £40million, it is obvious the club will need to sell a player or two and Elliott will surely be one of those.

He does not have to go, as he has two years left on his deal, but he spoke recently about not wanting to ‘waste’ these early years of his career. But if and when Liverpool do sell him, they will be losing a gem.

Not quite in the same way that Manchester United lost a gem in Scott McTominay (he was at the club as a boy whereas Elliott moved from Fulham as a 16-year-old) but similar. You feel Elliott has the same ingrained passion for Liverpool that McTominay had for United.

Elliott’s tears during the title celebrations at Anfield told you that. And like McTominay has done at Napoli, Elliott will flourish elsewhere.

Not just because he has the ability to do what he did against the Netherlands the other night but because he has a wonderful attitude to the sport. And whatever a club pays for him and whatever a club pays him, he will be worth it.

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