‘Overweight’ Harvey Elliott given deadline as Spanish press slam poor Liverpool pre-season

Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott has been urged to improve his fitness over the international break after Spanish media labeled him overweight. Following a loan spell at Aston Villa, Elliott joined Valencia on a season-long loan, but the Spanish club was reportedly surprised by his physical condition. Spanish outlet Marca noted that his lack of a proper pre-season has restricted him to limited minutes in three La Liga appearances, while he remained an unused substitute against Alaves.

Valencia is reportedly paying nearly all of Elliott's Premier League salary, making him the third-highest-paid player in the squad. With Valencia sitting second-bottom in La Liga after six matches, Elliott has been instructed to use the three-week hiatus to reach peak playing weight before their October 11 match against Racing Santander.