Curtis Jones Transfer News: Forest look to Liverpool’s forgotten man to fill £116m hole
Curtis Jones Transfer News: Nottingham Forest are ready to spend. Fresh from banking an unbelievable £116 million by selling Elliot Anderson to Manchester City, making the 23-year-old the most expensive British footballer ever, the decision-makers at the City Ground are moving fast. They need a replacement. According to TEAMtalk, they want Curtis Jones. The 25-year-old Liverpool academy graduate is in a difficult situation after spending his whole career on Merseyside, and Forest want him to anchor their new look.
It comes after a chaotic week on Trentside. Vitor Pereira was sacked as manager in brutal fashion. The Portuguese boss, who only arrived in February on an 18-month contract, found out he was gone without a single word of warning. Two minutes before a break clause in his contract kicked in, the board axed him. Oliver Glasner is the man coming in. Fresh off steering Crystal Palace to European silverware before running down his contract, the Austrian is back in the Premier League. (Via Goal.com)
What the numbers say about the midfielder
Jones is coming off a season of mixed fortunes. He played 49 times under Arne Slot last year, but 20 of those appearances came off the bench. He managed three goals and two assists. In the league, he got 1,930 minutes on the pitch, scoring once. His underlying data shows a non-penalty expected goals figure of 2.29, putting him in the top 52% of top-flight midfielders. Decent, but hardly indispensable. His last outing was a brief cameo in a 1-1 draw against Brentford in late May.
The main issue is his contract. He has entered his final twelve months, and FSG are driving a hard bargain, wanting between £35 million and £40 million. Inter Milan have already tried their luck twice. Their latest bid of £21 million was swiftly knocked back by the Anfield board.
Glasner wants a technical engine. Jones fits the profile perfectly, sharing the same ball-carrying ability and relentless pressing style that made Anderson so valuable before his mega-money move.
Read: 3 Strikers Liverpool should sign this transfer window
It leaves the player with a massive choice. San Siro or the City Ground. Milan offers Champions League football but fewer guarantees of a starting spot. Forest can offer him the keys to the midfield and a massive wage packet backed by their new wealth. Liverpool won’t sell on the cheap, but Forest have the cash to make this deal happen before Glasner even sits in the dugout.
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