Newcastle United are believed to be monitoring Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, amid doubts over his future at Anfield beyond this summer.
The 25-year-old has suffered a frustrating season in some ways, despite some good form, with Arne Slot not affording him regular starts.
Jones has only managed to start 10 Premier League games this season, with Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai often preferred, despite the first two not always being at their best.
For that reason, the boyhood Liverpool supporter has been linked with a move to Tottenham recently, with a £30m switch to north London mooted.
According to a new report from TEAMtalk, Newcastle have been “keeping a close eye on his situation”, amid doubts over the futures of key midfield duo Sandro Tonali and Joelinton.
The Liverpool ace is “emerging as one of the more intriguing names to watch ahead of the summer transfer window”, having “attracted attention from several Premier League clubs amid uncertainty over his long-term future on Merseyside.”
Liverpool must offer Curtis Jones new deal
Allowing Jones to leave this summer would be a bad mistake by Liverpool, with the midfielder maturing into such a talented and handy squad player, being hailed by Reds legend Phil Thompson earlier this season:
“Can I just say, he was fantastic tonight. Absolutely fantastic. He was one of the shining lights, doing so many good things, getting in tough areas, turning in the correct areas, putting in a shift. I thought he was absolutely our best player tonight.”
At 25, Jones still has a huge amount of time to grow as a footballer, not to mention the fact that he is a local player who knows the values of Liverpool as a club.
Mac Allister’s dropoff this season is a concern, and there is no guarantee that he will still be a Reds later next season, and Jones has the ability to become more of a key starter moving forward.
But even if he remains a squad player, with another elite midfielder brought in during the summer transfer window, keeping hold of him has to be seen as a better option than losing him.