Why Renewing Curtis Jones Could Be Liverpool’s Smartest Summer Decision

Why Renewing Curtis Jones Could Be Liverpool’s Smartest Summer Decision

Liverpool are preparing for another summer of major transition.

Mohamed Salah and Andrew Robertson are both leaving at the end of the season, uncertainty continues around several senior players, and the club is expected to reshape multiple areas of the squad under Arne Slot.

Amid all the transfer noise, one situation quietly becoming increasingly important is Curtis Jones.

The Liverpool academy graduate has entered a strange phase in his Anfield career. Once viewed as one of the club’s long-term midfield pillars, the 25-year-old now finds himself surrounded by growing uncertainty.

Reports during the January transfer window linked Jones with both Tottenham and Inter, while recent updates suggest Inter’s interest has remained active. At the same time, contract renewal discussions between Liverpool and the midfielder are reportedly on hold.

That creates a difficult question for Liverpool:
Should they cash in now, or commit to Jones for the long term?

Liverpool’s Squad Rebuild Makes Jones More Valuable

On paper, selling Jones could make financial sense.

As a homegrown academy player, any transfer fee would represent pure profit under Premier League financial regulations. With Liverpool expected to spend heavily again this summer, sacrificing squad players could become necessary.

But Jones is not a typical squad player anymore.

Under Arne Slot, he has quietly evolved into one of the most tactically flexible players in the squad.

Over the second half of the season, Jones has been used:

• in central midfield

• as a deeper controller

• in a hybrid right-back role

• and occasionally higher between the lines

His technical security and positional intelligence have allowed Slot to experiment with structures during difficult injury periods.

That versatility matters.

Liverpool are simultaneously searching for:

• midfield control

• ball progression

• tactical flexibility

• and depth across multiple positions

Jones already provides many of those qualities internally.

The Right-Back Experiment Changed Perceptions

One of the biggest surprises of recent months has been Jones’ emergence in inverted right-back roles.

With injuries affecting defensive depth and tactical adjustments becoming necessary, Jones adapted surprisingly well to the position.

Rather than playing as a traditional overlapping full-back, he frequently stepped inside during possession phases, helping Liverpool control tempo and progress the ball centrally.

In several matches, he became one of Liverpool’s primary circulation players:

• high touch volume

• strong pass completion

• progressive carrying

• defensive recoveries

The role highlighted something Liverpool may value more than ever under Slot:
multi-functional players capable of changing shape during matches.

Jones Still Fits Liverpool’s Long-Term Identity

There is also an emotional and structural argument for renewal.

Liverpool are potentially losing multiple senior figures this summer. Allowing another homegrown player to drift away could further weaken the squad’s internal identity.

Jones understands:

• the expectations of the club

• the intensity of Anfield

• the tactical demands of top-level football

• and the culture inside the dressing room

Those qualities are difficult to replace externally.

At his best, Jones has already shown he can operate effectively in high-level Premier League and European matches. The question is no longer whether he is talented enough.

The real question is whether Liverpool fully trust him as part of the next cycle.

Letting Him Leave Could Create Another Problem

Liverpool already have major decisions to make:

• defensive rebuild

• midfield depth

• attacking replacements

• contract situations

• goalkeeper uncertainty

Adding another replacement requirement by selling Jones may simply create unnecessary work.

Especially because finding a tactically flexible, homegrown midfielder capable of filling multiple roles would likely cost significantly more than renewing the player they already have.

For Liverpool, extending Curtis Jones may not be the headline decision of the summer.

But it could quietly become one of the smartest.