Will Reds risk Jones running down his deal?
- Published
Curtis Jones' current Liverpool deal expires next summer and though he has been in talks over a new contract for several months, an extension is yet to be agreed.
If you asked Jones last summer, he would have expected to become an integral part of the Liverpool side and would certainly have had genuine ambitions of going to the World Cup.
Instead, he went to Los Angeles on vacation before the tournament began and was at the Monaco Grand Prix last week.
Under former boss Arne Slot, Jones struggled to become a regular starter in the heart of midfield - which is what he wants to be - and finished the campaign primarily as an emergency right-back for Liverpool.
By the end of Slot's tenure, Jones was posting a clapping emoji under Mohamed Salah's social media post which called for Liverpool to change their style of play.
Crucial to Jones' next steps will be those initial discussions with new boss Andoni Iraola and figuring out where he stands under the Spaniard.
For Liverpool, they certainly do not want to lose the only Scouser in the first-team but if Jones wants out and a suitable offer in the range of £35m is made, the understanding is that they will not stand in his way.
Put simply, they can sell now and generate a profit on a home-grown asset.
The question is whether such a fee will be paid when Jones would be available for a free next summer.
It would be another failure on Liverpool's part, after losing Ibrahima Konate, Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson on a free, if they were to let an academy graduate who has made more than 200 senior appearances leave in the same manner.
