Why Curtis Jones Could Dictate Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool Transfer Strategy

Selling a fringe player entering the final year of their contract sounds like a straightforward decision, but in the case of Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, it is anything but.

Jones, now 25, made 49 appearances last season in all competitions but was usually used off the bench, with many of his starts coming as emergency cover in various positions, including eight games as a right back.

Serie A giants Inter took note of Jones’s struggle for minutes in January, chasing a deal that ultimately fell through. The Italians are back again this summer, through, with sporting director Piero Ausilio confirming a fresh approach will soon be made.

“The interest in the lad was there in January and is still there now,” he confessed. “Jones is a player we’ve been paying attention to for some time. We tried to negotiate in January and we will try again. If we find a common ground, great. Otherwise, we will do something else.”

Reports have suggested a bid of $23 million (€20 million, £17 million) has already been turned down by Liverpool, who are said to be looking for $35 million (€30 million, £26 million). Ausilio laughed when it was put to him that there is “minimal distance” between the two clubs’ valuation of Jones.

“You say there’s minimal distance, but they’re not your millions!” he stressed.

This has all the makings of a fairly straightforward, under-the-radar transfer, but in reality, that is far from the case.

Why Selling Curtis Jones Could Shape Liverpool’s Season

Liverpool have faced plenty of questions about their approach to squad-building over the past few years, allowing their core to grow old together while failing to tie down the younger pieces of the puzzle to new contracts. Trent Alexander-Arnold left last summer and is set to be joined at Real Madrid by center back Ibrahima Konaté on a free transfer.

The nature of Liverpool’s outgoings actually came back to bite them last season when it came to Champions League registration. UEFA rules require a minimum of eight homegrown players—those trained at a club in England for at least three years between the ages of 15 and 21—in the squad, and Liverpool simply did not have enough to fill that quota.

The punishment for failing to meet those registration rules is not financial. Instead, for each homegrown spot a club fails to fill, they are blocked from naming one non-homegrown player. In Liverpool’s case, what could have been a 25-man European roster ended up being restricted to 22.

Jones is one of very few homegrown players in the Liverpool squad, and a potential departure would force the Reds to accept yet another drop in their European registrations unless they can replace him with another homegrown player. It is not as simple as plucking a superstar from mainland Europe to fill the gap.

Being restricted to no more than 21 senior players for a Champions League campaign would be a huge problem for new manager Andoni Iraola. On the other hand, while keeping Jones would be a massive boost to Liverpool from a registration perspective, another unsettled player leaving on a free transfer in 12 months brings obvious concerns.

Jones also brings the unique attribute of being the only academy graduate in the current squad. Last summer’s departures of both Alexander-Arnold and Jarell Quansah left Jones flying the flag for the red half of Merseyside alone and letting him go this year would leave a massive hole. Losing him for free in 12 months would not be much better.

There is far more to this deal than just the “millions” discussed by Ausilio. Liverpool have plenty to think about and will be sweating over a decision that could shift the entire direction of the new season.

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