**Liverpool begin their 2026-27 Premier League season with a tricky trip to St James’ Park to take on Newcastle United.**
The Reds blew hot and cold in pre-season but finished with a commanding win against Como at Anfield as Andoni Iraola prepares to start on a positive note.
Curtis Jones missed the game against the Serie A side as he was spotted training alone at the AXA Training Centre.
His absence wasn’t due to an injury, but rather due to transfer talks with Inter Milan.
Jones has since been given permission to travel to Milan to undergo his medical after the two agreed a fee.
And now, Iraola has confirmed that he will leave the club despite his best efforts to make him stay.
Jones has been a regular member of Liverpool’s first team squad but has failed to nail down a regular starting spot, which was the case under Jurgen Klopp and then under Arne Slot.
And Iraola reveals he knew when he took over the club that the Englishman could leave, admitting that he tried to convince him to stay.
“Yes \[I wanted to keep him\] Curtis is a good player but I understood this,” said the Spaniard in his pre-match press conference.
“He is coming for some years in the same situation, so I knew from that moment it could happen (he would leave).