Is Curtis Jones nearing the end of his time at Liverpool?

AFC BournemouthArsenalAston VillaBrentfordBrighton & Hove AlbionBurnleyChelseaCrystal PalaceEvertonFulhamLeeds UnitedLiverpoolManchester CityManchester UnitedNewcastle UnitedNottingham ForestSunderlandTottenham HotspurWest Ham UnitedWolverhampton WanderersScores & ScheduleStandingsFantasyThe Athletic FC NewsletterPodcastsAttwell Kept Off Forest MatchesExploring Chelsea's FinancesThe Art of RubberneckingAnalysisIs Curtis Jones nearing the end of his time at Liverpool?Curtis Jones' future is uncertain with one year left of his contract Carl Recine/Getty Images Share article1There are many images from Liverpool’s dramatic derby victory that will live long in the memory and one involved Curtis Jones, the club’s lone first-team Scouser. The 25-year-old was on his way to join his teammates to celebrate Virgil van Dijk’s 100th-minute winner when, mid-celebration, he gleefully looked towards the Everton fans standing behind the goal where Jordan Pickford and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall were on the floor disconsolate. Jones, who grew up in Toxteth, knows what this fixture means to the people of Liverpool as well as anybody. Representing his boyhood club is a role he has always spoken passionately about ever since he burst onto the scene as an 18-year-old with a sensational goal against Everton in the FA Cup in 2020. “This shows the team that we are and the team that they are,” Jones told Viaplay in a post-match interview. “Celebrating that they’re two points behind us in one of our worst years. If that’s what they take as a stepping stone or a step in the right direction, I don’t know. We don’t think about teams that are catching us. We only ever look forward.” Yet, despite playing 90 minutes against Everton, there is a possibility that it could be his last Merseyside derby as a Liverpool player. Jones will be entering the final 12 months of the deal he signed in 2020, and there is uncertainty over where he may be playing his football even next season. Sunday was only his seventh start in Liverpool’s last 20 matches, and the third he has started as an emergency right-back. Another of his starts against Nottingham Forest was only due to Florian Wirtz suffering an injury in the warm-up. It is in stark contrast to earlier in the campaign when, between December 6 and January 17, Jones started nine out of 10 matches in all competitions. It marked his most consistent period of starts in a Liverpool shirt. Liverpool’s 13-game unbeaten run was relatively uninspiring in terms of performances, but it coincided with Jones becoming a consistent presence as Arne Slot’s side stabilised results after a dreadful autumn. Circumstances helped with Slot opting to operate with an extra midfielder — Dominik Szoboszlai was used on the right — to improve Liverpool’s defensive stability. They were also short on attackers due to injuries and Mohamed Salah’s AFCON absence. After starting in the 1-1 draw with Burnley, Jones was a substitute for the final three games in January, and as the transfer window drew to a close, there were links to Tottenham and then late interest from Serie A side Inter. Given the limited options Slot has had available throughout the season, the suggestion of a deal involving Jones leaving on an initial loan was never entertained by Liverpool and the player remained at Anfield. Yet — for reasons that have never become entirely clear — he has continued to be a peripheral presence and his Liverpool career feels at a crossroads. Even his performance against Everton provoked conflicting responses. Playing in an unfamiliar position, he was repeatedly targeted by Everton with long balls. Jones occasionally struggled to deal with it, but he was positive in possession, attempting the most passes and take-ons while also recording the most defensive actions of any player. It is all indicative of how Jones can be a polarising player among fans. Some value his ball retention and pressing, while others question whether his ceiling is high enough for a club of Liverpool’s ambitions. Under Slot and his predecessor Jurgen Klopp, Jones has been in an ongoing battle to establish himself as part of a first-choice midfield. Ill-timed injuries haven’t helped, and neither has his versatility, leaving him without an obvious first-choice position, although he has tended to operate mainly on the left. “(Curtis) has done really good in the last three games and I think that’s not the first time,” Slot told reporters during a press conference in December. “But maybe since I’m here, it’s the first time that it’s three times in a row that he brings in very, very good performances. “He’s had in the past also very good performances and a game later I didn’t like the performance as much as I did now recently in his last three games. So, I think it’s again a challenge for him to go to the fourth, fifth, sixth game.” Slot’s arrival, which the midfielder spoke positively about during the head coach’s first pre-season, saw him rotate with Szoboszlai in the No 10 role in the opening months of the season. As the season progressed, the Hungarian made that position his own while the partnership of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister behind was flourishing. They remained mainstays when all fit and available. This season, the arrival of attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz pushed Jones down the pecking order. As shown by his minutes share this season, he has been used a lot more as a deeper No.8 instead of the No.10 role. What will concern Jones in recent months is that while he has been out of the team, his teammate Mac Allister, who has struggled for form for most of the campaign, has continued to be picked. While there is a clear difference in minutes played, when they have been deployed in either of the two deeper midfield roles, Jones is outperforming Mac Allister in all metrics except goal threat and chance creation. Jones has never lacked confidence. When asked why Liverpool’s midfield functioned so well in their 1-0 victory over Inter in their Champions League group phase match, he replied playfully: “I think it works because I was playing.” We may be reaching the point where Jones wants more minutes, and his best route to that could be at another club. “He is a Liverpool player and I think I have said this a few times, he is good enough to play for us, to start for us,” Slot told reporters in February. “He will be part of our plans for the upcoming weeks, months and also for next season.” The prospect of Liverpool losing another Scouser after the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold last summer would be regrettable, especially given the lack of local players ready to step into the first team. Striker Jayden Danns would be the most likely, having already made nine senior appearances, but he continues to be hampered by injuries. Regardless of his performances on the pitch, Jones is desperate to help Liverpool win, and he understands the culture of the club and the city. That type of knowledge is invaluable, especially when club legends Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson are departing at the end of the season and Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker are unlikely to be far behind. It is important that the club have players who ‘get it’ and are able to educate new arrivals. There is a logistical importance to keeping Jones, too, given he qualifies as a homegrown player, something Liverpool’s squad is increasingly lacking. A scenario where both the midfielder and Joe Gomez leave would impact summer business, as the club will be limited on non-homegrown slots. That would shape recruitment. If an extension looks unlikely, then a parting of ways this summer could suit all parties with Liverpool avoiding letting another player leave at the end of their contract for no fee. It is a conundrum that needs resolving. Both the club and Jones have decisions to make. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms