A Scouser in the team is usually a guarantee, but for Curtis Jones, the Anfield dream is facing its toughest reality check yet. Arne Slot’s latest admissions have pulled back the curtain on a looming contract crisis. There was also a January exit that almost was.
As Liverpool prepares for their Emirates FA Cup fourth-round tie against Brighton & Hove Albion, manager Arne Slot has sparked fresh speculation. He made comments regarding the future of Curtis Jones.
While the club successfully warded off interest from Tottenham and Inter Milan during the January window, Slot’s recent comments about the midfielder’s contract situation and playing time have left many wondering. In fact, some now feel a summer exit is becoming inevitable.
With only 18 months left on his deal, Jones inclusion (or exclusion) in the starting XI today carries more weight than ever. Moreover, the Scouser looks to prove he remains central to the Dutchman’s long-term plans at Anfield.
The midfield freeze-out: from starter to substitute
Curtis Jones continues to settle for second-half cameos as he remains out in the cold. The English midfielder has failed to start a single match since his linked loan switch to Inter Milan at the close of the January transfer window.
Despite Alexis Mac Allister’s well-documented struggles and Dominik Szoboszlai’s recent shift to right-back, the “Scouser in the team” still cannot force his way back into the starting XI.
Jones continues to watch from the sidelines while Arne Slot experiments with the rest of the squad.
Slot’s stance: praise without guarantees
Slot has called Jones ‘a very good player’ in the lead up to Brighton’s visit, but admitted he can’t guarantee game time for the Englishman.
“He is a Liverpool player and I think I have said this a few times, he is a very good player but the only line we don’t have issues is midfield and he has been playing the last 18 months more than he ever has in his time at Liverpool.
So that tells you a lot about the development he has made,” the Liverpool boss said in his pre-match press conference.
Slot stated that the fierce competition in the engine room as the reason behind Jones’ lack of minutes. He said: “But he is also in competition with a lot of players that I also like and they have done very well for this club as well.
“So yeah, he will be part of our plans for the upcoming weeks, months and for next season as well.”
A glaring absence since the Burnley turning point
Since his last start in the 3-0 Champions League win over Marseille in mid-January, Jones has struggled for minutes. He has managed only brief substitute appearances in the league following the 1-1 draw against Burnley in the same month.
The visit from Burnley marked Jones’ seventh consecutive Premier League start. Since that match, however, his absence from the starting XI has become a glaring talking point for supporters. Critics have also noticed.
Supporters have even suggested there may have been some sort of row between Jones and Slot. This has prompted his recent omissions and transfer speculation.
The Inter Milan link and homegrown heartbreak
Born in the city, the 25-year-old has always appeared overjoyed at pulling on the red shirt. This is why his apparent eagerness to move to Italy took many by surprise.
Wednesday night’s match against Sunderland felt telling, with Jones forced to settle for a place on the bench once again. He had only played five minutes in the game before.
As for why Inter felt an encouragement to open lines of communication with Liverpool over Jones, Slot explained. He described how the club’s sustainability model entices clubs to try and strike a deal.
Liverpool’s transfer model and contract risks
Slot said: “I think it is perfectly normal that very good football players are in the interest of big clubs, like us, trying to extend with him and clubs wanting to sign him.
“if you go to the end of your contract, I think it is also normal that other big clubs think: ‘Hmmm, maybe there’s a deal to be done’. Because, and I am saying this every time I am standing here lately, you know our model.
“Other clubs know our model as well, so other clubs might think: ‘Okay, there is no use calling them because they don’t sell’, we have a different model.
“So that could be the reason why there has been some links with other clubs.”
Snubbed at right-back: the Endo decision
Despite injuries to Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley, and a suspension for Dominik Szoboszlai, Jones still failed to secure a starting spot. While he appeared the obvious candidate to fill in at right-back, Slot chose Wataru Endo for the role instead.
If the England international fails to play a significant part against Fabian Hurzeler’s Seagulls this weekend, his future will just be plunged into further uncertainty.
Looking ahead: the FA Cup and World Cup stakes
Slot’s squad is extremely thin in a number of positions, and the Dutchman will be keen to rest the starters he’s regularly called upon. Jones would usually be one of the first in line to step into the fold.
If Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch are asked to go again, with Szoboszlai slotting back in at right-back, then fans will be left scratching their heads once again.
There’s a world where Jones plays the cup game and breaks back into the team regularly going forward. However, the other scenario involves him searching for a new club in the summer.
A lack of minutes is already harming Jones chances of being part of Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad this summer. Being unable to break into a struggling Liverpool side could be the final straw.
Financial implications: the final 12 months
The conundrum the Merseysiders also face is that their homegrown midfielder will be entering the final 12 months of his current contract by the time the summer window rolls around.
That means potential suitors could look to strike a cut-price deal for the confident scouser. Alternatively, they could plot a free transfer the following year. Slot himself has hinted at clubs circling and hoping to do a deal.
“It’s perfectly normal that very good players are in the interest of big clubs, like us, trying to extend with him and clubs wanting to sign him. If you go to end of your contract, it’s also normal other big clubs think maybe there’s a deal to be done,” the 47-year-old admitted.
After such a significant £450m outlay last summer, and the business Liverpool are expected to do this time around, a hefty fee for such a talented player would go a long way.
Fans will also feel a sense of deja vu after seeing Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate all find themselves in a similar situation recently.
