£30m Liverpool star's 'amazing' claim over Arne Slot teases exciting season ahead

Curtis Jones’ admission over Liverpool manager Arne Slot has teased an exciting season in prospect for the midfielder.

The 23-year-old enjoyed a strong season in Jurgen Klopp’s final year at the club, showcasing a clear progression from talented academy figure to first-team regular. His form even saw him earn an England call-up prior to the European Championships and he will be keen to kick on again under Slot.

Speaking ahead of their first game on tour, Jones waxed lyrical over the new boss and how his style of play should allow for him to progress after Klopp’s departure. “He’s amazing. It’s probably the happiest I’ve been,” the Liverpool midfielder said as he faced the media.

“As a style of play, it suits me,” he said. “It is a clear plan. Arne is fully involved in the training, he coaches us a lot, he’s big on the finer details. He knows it’s going to take a bit of time because it’s a big change. I came around the team as a young lad. I always had a way of playing, but I had to adapt and change. It wasn’t anything I couldn’t do. But this now is more me. I can get on the ball more. I can ‘do me’ more.”

Jones made 14 starts in the league last season but featured 36 times overall. Those figures would have been improved if he hadn’t suffered two spells out of action with an ankle and thigh problem but he was a regular fixture. However, starting ahead of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai would prove to be a difficult task, especially with Harvey Elliott also lying in waiting.

His strengths are clear: he has tremendous close control, ability to receive the ball and turn and can play in tight spaces and between the lines. That’s why he ranks in the elite percentiles for progressive carries, take-ons, progressive passes received and touches in the opposition box. He has a great reading of the game going forward and is a clever, intuitive player.

Yet, his downfall lies in his defending. Tasked with winning the ball back as quickly as possible under Klopp, and now Slot, his numbers are weak defensively. He ranked in the 14th percentile for defensive actions and in the fourth for duels % won; other teams will notice that and look to play through him especially with more physically capable players who can get the better of Jones.

One player he could look to emulate from Slot’s Feyenoord team is Quinten Timber, who also featured heavily on the left-side of midfield. His seven goals and nine assists were impressive and both compared very similarly across several metrics. Timber managed more key passes and a better defensive quality while Jones managed more progressive passes and the pair tied on progressive passes - it looks like if Jones is to be successful under Slot, he could look to emulate the role that the Dutchman had while ensuring he has a bigger impact defensively.