Newcastle United could sign Liverpool star with more than 200 appearances amid ‘long standing interest’ claim
Newcastle United have been linked with a move for a highly-rated Liverpool star
Liverpool face a key decision over the future of academy graduate Curtis Jones, who has continuously been linked with moves away from Anfield in recent weeks, following an 18-year association with the football club.
Jones was reported to be the subject of late interest in January from Italian heavyweights Inter Milan, but Arne Slot blocked the move due to his team’s lack of squad depth.
"I think what you’ve seen... he has played a lot of minutes... we kept [him] because we have players but we need players in these positions,” said the Liverpool boss when discussing the speculation.
However, it’s worth noting that Jones has just 18 months remaining on his contract, and could enter the final year of his deal by the time the summer transfer window arrives.
The six-time England international has struggled for regular minutes at Anfield and could potentially be offered more first team opportunities if he was to depart, amid growing reports of interest from a Premier League rival.
Newcastle United ‘express interest’ in Curtis Jones
TEAMtalk report that Newcastle United have been keeping a close eye on the Curtis Jones situation amid concerns about the future of a number of their midfield stars.
On deadline day, shock reports of interest in Sandro Tonali emerged from Sky Sports Germany, and though these were later dismissed, the Italian has failed to rule out the possibility that he’ll leave in the summer.
Joe Willock was also the subject of interest from Fulham based on reports from Sky Sports, while TEAMtalk has also suggested that Joelinton could depart, although this seems much less likely than the two previous names mentioned.
Jones is reported to be one of Newcastle’s long-standing targets and a player with the potential to improve their team. He’s renowned for his tireless workrate, tenacity and is also blessed with great versatility that allows him to fill in at right-back - something which Newcastle would likely value given Tino Livramento’s injury record in recent seasons and the fact that Kieran Trippier, 35, is out of contract in the summer.
What next for Curtis Jones?
Jones has made 30 appearances for Liverpool this season across all competitions. However, just 17 of those have been starts and he’s rarely been the first choice in the Premier League when everyone's been available.
It’s still a good amount of action but not enough to really put him in the spotlight when it comes to an England call up. It’s also worth noting that last season, he only started 19 league matches as he also was viewed as more of a utility player.
Jones has proven himself at the highest level with more than 200 Liverpool appearances and 140 in the Premier League having just turned 25. He’s believed to be the subject of interest from Newcastle along with Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur, and those claims are only likely to intensify in the future if he doesn’t sign a fresh contract extension.