The 134 Years of History Playing a Role in Liverpool’s Transfer Plans

Liverpool’s strong stance on Curtis Jones could be tested over the summer.

Curtis Jones (right) was the subject of interest from Inter. | Shaun Brooks-CameraSport/Getty Images

Liverpool’s record of homegrown talent in the first-team squad has been described as a “factor” regarding the club’s blunt rejection of any interest from Inter in Curtis Jones which surfaced over the January transfer window.

Jones was reportedly receptive to a late approach from the Serie A leaders at the end of the winter trading period after failing to nail down a permanent starting role in Arne Slot’s midfield. The Athletic report that Liverpool’s response “could not have been any stronger,” Jones was going nowhere—and not just for footballing reasons.

The proud product of Toxteth is the only senior professional in the squad from the city following Trent Alexander-Arnold’s sale to Real Madrid last summer. With less than 18 months remaining on his contract and a battle for minutes still very much on Jones’s hands, Liverpool’s quest to maintain their record of having a Scouser in the team could be tested.

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‘The Scouser in Our Team’

Liverpool have a proud record of homegrown talent. | Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images

Liverpool are a club which prides itself on honing homegrown talent. Many teams can lay claim to the same tradition—Manchester United’s insistence on keeping Kobbie Mainoo even during Ruben Amorim’s ongoing feud with the Mancunian is thought to have had some foundation in the club’s record of using academy talent. But there is an added political edge which contributes to Liverpool’s civic pride.

The port city with proudly diverse population, colloquially known as Scousers, considered itself to be deliberately overlooked by the nation’s institutions, starting with Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government of the 1980s. This stance was no conspiracy theory.

Files released to the public in 2011 revealed that Thatcher’s chancellor Sir Geoffrey Howe had urged the prime minister to abandon Liverpool to “managed decline.” Enacting any successful change was likened to “trying to make water flow uphill.”

This is precisely why Liverpool fans often boo the national anthem and explains one of the famous Anfield flags which reads: “We’re not English, we’re Scouse.”

And so, having “a Scouser in the team,” as the chant goes, is incredibly important to fans and the club itself. Research from the extensive archives of LFC History found that at least one player from Merseyside has featured in a first-team squad in every single season of the club’s existence since it was founded in 1892.

As many as four Scousers started Liverpool’s three European Cup final triumphs of 1977, 1978 and 1981 while the legendary Bob Paisley called upon an average of 10 homegrown talents per season during his trophy-laden reign in the 1980s. However, the current lows of just one homegrown player—Jones—haven’t been seen since 2013–14.

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What Does the Future Hold for Jones?

Curtis Jones faces an uncertain future. | MB Media/Getty Images

As recently as last season, Steven Gerrard—the ultimate Scouse icon in Liverpool’s history—upheld Jones as his successor. “I have just known all along that with the right guidance and support he can become that Scouse heartbeat of the team,” the retired club captain, who coached Jones for Liverpool’s youth team, told The Times. “And I think he is ready to be that heartbeat now.”

This acclaim came during a rich vein of form for the upright central midfielder. After welcoming his first child into the world, the weary new father man-marked Cole Palmer out of a 2–1 win over Chelsea while also scoring and assisting both goals. He was promptly called up for England in November 2024 and marked his debut with a goal against Greece.

Thomas Tuchel picked Jones next to Declan Rice in his first match as England manager—a 2–0 win over Albania last March—yet he has not started a game in midfield for his country in the 11 months since. Injury prevented his call-up in September, paving the way for Elliot Anderson to rapidly make his mark. The all-action Nottingham Forest star is built in the same mould as Jones, balancing dexterity with industry across a range of roles. Yet, while Anderson has remained undisputedly first choice at the City Ground, thereby maintaining that status for England, Jones has struggled to feature for club or country.

The 25-year-old played the full 90 minutes in four consecutive Premier League matches for Liverpool over December. When this unusual run of consistency was put to Slot he openly scoffed, pointing instead to the lack of alternative options he had available during an injury crisis at Anfield. Alexis Mac Allister swiftly returned to full fitness and nudged Jones out of his starting position.

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Curtis Jones Usage

Season	Age at Start of Season	% Available League Mins Played
2020–21	19	34.5%
2021–22	20	24.9%
2022–23	21	30.3%
2023–24	22	34.1%
2024–25	23	50.1%
2025–26	24	50.8%

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While Liverpool lack defensive depth and somehow have conspired to create an attacking shortage despite an extravagant summer spend, midfield competition is fierce. “In that line, we have a lot of players,” Slot acknowledged this week.

Ryan Gravenberch’s status is practically untouchable in the eyes of Slot, while his partner has most often been Mac Allister. Florian Wirtz’s ever-improving form from an attacking midfield position has not helped Jones’s chances, and that’s before we even consider that Liverpool’s best player this season also calls the middle of the pitch his home: Dominik Szoboszlai.

Jones has lofty ambitions. “I want to be seen as a lad who is a big part of things,” he told The Athletic last year. “I have to step up with that weight on my shoulders.” But to achieve those goals, he will have to dislodge one of his teammates, none of whom appear eager to leave Merseyside themselves.

Ironically, it may be his Merseyside upbringing which takes him away from his boyhood club. “Growing up [in Toxteth] made me the player I am today—confident, brave, knowing where I need to get to,” he told The Independent after breaking into Liverpool’s first team. It looks increasingly like Jones may need to switch clubs if he is to get to where he needs to go.

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