Emile Heskey discusses the future of Curtis Jones and names two players who could become targets if the midfielder leaves Liverpool
Curtis Jones during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg match between Liverpool FC and Galatasaray SK.
Curtis Jones has just one year remaining on his current Liverpool contract(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
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Emile Heskey believes Inter transfer interest in Curtis Jones stems from contract talks reaching an impasse behind the scenes at Liverpool.
And the former Reds striker believes Bournemouth's Alex Scott or Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton would be ideal replacements if Jones does move to the Serie A champions this summer.
Italian giants Inter briefly contacted Liverpool over Jones during the January transfer window only to be told the Reds had no interest in selling and despite Arne Slot revealing in February that talks were underway with the Academy graduate's camp over new terms, speculation continues.
It's been reported in Italy that Liverpool and Inter remain someway off an agreement and while Anfield's key decision makers would prefer to keep Jones, talk of a £35m fee has persisted.
Heskey, who scored 22 goals for Gerard Houllier's treble-winning side 25 years ago, thinks talk of Jones leaving this transfer window is down to an inability to reach an agreement over a new deal.
"I'd be very surprised if he's not pushing for a new contract," Heskey told LiveFootballTickets. "So there's something there that tells me that they're not willing to offer him what he wants.
"They're either not willing to offer him a new contract or they're not willing to offer him what he wants in that contract. He's got ambitions to be a regular England player.
"So he needs to be playing regularly, and I think he can become a regular England player but he needs to be playing regularly at his club.
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"I think if Liverpool can't give him that I think he then looks at other pastures. You look at Scott McTominay (at Napoli) who has gone on to play in Italy and he’s been lauded for it.
"He's actually changed the way people look at him as a footballer, and I think Curtis has got the ability to do that. He's got so much ability to lead and he could play in several different positions.
"We've seen him play right back at times rolling into midfield which is not ideal for him, but he's shown that he's willing to do it and he's willing to try and he’s capable of it."
On what Liverpool need this summer transfer window under Andoni Iraola, Heskey added: "I think midfield is a key place that they need to add to.
"I think another one of the most important places is centre-back. (Ibrahima) Konate is gone now, so there are two positions that they need straight away to get up and running.
"We all know that these sorts of things don't happen straight away, do they? There's so much intricacies to deals that can prolong them for a long time.
"So these things are not going to happen. We did it last year. We got a lot of our things over and done with so we could actually get the season up and running.
"It really didn't pan out the way that we wanted it to, but if we could do it again, it would be.
"I think I see Alex Scott being the one for midfield. Adam Wharton would be another good one. I know Elliot Anderson looks like he's going to Man City. He would have been another one.
"I think midfielders are the priority and then centre-back, someone to work alongside Virgil van Dijk who makes us solid again because we haven't been. We haven't been solid for a while."