Liverpool star Harvey Elliott was wanted for surprise move before Valencia transfer

Harvey Elliott could have ended up at Dinamo Zagreb before Liverpool sanctioned his deadline-day loan move to Valencia.

The 23-year-old joined the Spanish club on a season-long loan after returning to Anfield following a disappointing spell with Aston Villa.

Elliott was not considered a central part of Andoni Iraola's plans for the new campaign, opening the door for another temporary departure.

However, Valencia were far from his only potential destination.

Srđan Lakić, who works for Elliott's representatives Roof, has revealed he explored the possibility of taking the Liverpool attacker to Dinamo Zagreb.

Lakić explained that significant work went into potential deals for both Elliott and Giovanni Reyna.

“My idea was for Harvey Elliott to come to Dinamo, especially if the Blues qualify for the Champions League, but he ultimately went to Valencia,” Lakić said.

“I was also involved in that deal.”

Dinamo's failure to qualify for the Champions League appears to have complicated the possibility.

The Croatian club were eliminated by Viking FK in qualifying, while Reyna also went elsewhere after completing a move from Borussia Dortmund to Strasbourg.

Liverpool ultimately agreed to send Elliott to Valencia despite other clubs reportedly being prepared to offer the Reds more favourable financial terms.

Valencia are only covering part of Elliott's salary, while other interested clubs were willing to pay his wages in full.

Liverpool therefore preferred alternative destinations from a financial perspective, but Elliott pushed for the move to Mestalla.

His desire eventually proved decisive and the season-long loan was completed on deadline day.

Elliott has already made his Valencia debut, although it was an evening to forget as the Spanish side suffered a 5-0 defeat against Barcelona.

After Dinamo's ambitious attempt failed, Elliott will now be hoping his spell in Spain provides the regular football he struggled to find during his previous loan at Aston Villa.

The focus now shifts to whether Elliott can establish himself as an important player at Valencia after a difficult previous loan spell with Aston Villa.

Regular minutes will be crucial for the 23-year-old, particularly because he remains a Liverpool player and will eventually return to Anfield unless his situation changes.

His debut against Barcelona could hardly have been more difficult, ending in a 5-0 defeat, but the entire season rather than one match will determine whether the move proves successful.

Liverpool will be watching closely. A strong campaign in La Liga could either help Elliott force his way back into Iraola's plans or significantly improve his options in the transfer market next summer.