Arsenal transfer news
Arsenal transfer news: The Gunners are tracking Curtis Jones as Liverpool exit looms
Arsenal transfer news: The summer transfer window. It’s a circus, frankly. But amid the usual noise, a genuinely intriguing narrative is developing between North London and Merseyside. Arsenal are keeping a very close eye on Curtis Jones.
The 25-year-old Scouser looks destined to leave Anfield before September. He notched up 49 appearances for Liverpool last term, chipping in with three goals and three assists. In the Premier League, he managed 34 games and 1,930 minutes. Respectable? Yes. Enough to secure a guaranteed spot in the starting eleven? Clearly not. That lack of regular, defined minutes is exactly why he is looking for a way out.
Enter Mikel Arteta. The Arsenal boss is a long-term admirer.
Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport claims Jones has already agreed terms with Inter Milan. He fancies the move. He thinks his time at Anfield is up. However, Liverpool are playing hardball, knocking back bids of £18 million and £21 million from the Italian giants. They want £35 million.
The Inter hitch and the tactical fit
Arsenal haven’t made an official move yet. According to Just Arsenal, there isn’t a formal bid on the horizon either. The Gunners are hovering. It is a watching brief, completely dependent on whether the Inter Milan deal falls through.
Jones created 23 chances last season and completed 1,219 successful passes. He also filled in at right-back when Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley were out injured. Arteta loves that kind of tactical flexibility. Jones ranked 44th in the Premier League for successful passes last season, proving his comfort on the ball even during a disrupted campaign.
But there is a massive snag. Liverpool selling to a direct rival feels incredibly unlikely. Arsenal just won their first Premier League title in 22 years and fell just short in Europe. Handing a useful tool to the team occupying the domestic throne is a bitter pill for the Anfield board to swallow.
Read: Is it needed? Arsenal now ready to put £80m bid for star
Then there is the player’s own perspective. Jones is sick of being the utility man. He wants to play in central midfield. Period. Ironically, Arsenal can’t promise him that. The Emirates midfield is already packed with quality, and he wouldn’t just walk into the side. Inter remain the frontrunners, but if they cannot match the valuation, Arsenal are waiting in the wings.
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