Liverpool has a few contract situations to sort out this summer, but Arne Slot and Richard Hughes should be looking to tie Curtis Jones down for the peak of his career
04:00, 27 Apr 2026
Curtis Jones was central to the Liverpool celebrations after the Reds beat Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Curtis Jones was central to the Liverpool celebrations after the Reds beat Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.(Image: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
When the summer comes, Liverpool will have work to do on transfers, but it will also need to make progress on keeping some of the stars that Arne Slot already has at his disposal — like Curtis Jones.
In January, there was interest from Tottenham and Inter Milan in the Scouse midfielder, and given that Jones is set to enter the final year of his contract, it would be fair to say that a decision one way or another on his future is coming sooner rather than later.
Liverpool had zero interest in weakening its roster any further during the winter, but the fact that there were inquiries should be no surprise. Jones, Slot has admitted a few times, hasn't played as much as he either would like or he deserves.
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In specific games, there is an argument that having Jones playing at right-back, where he has been deployed of late, is not the worst idea. In the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool has lacked a passer from deep.
"What helped us is that he is really comfortable on the ball," Slot said. "That was a quality that a right-back had for a long time who played here before, a very, very comfortable player on the ball in Trent.
"He gave I wouldn't say a copy of Trent, but Curtis gave us that quality on the ball — calm, finding the right passes, starting to dribble. He gave us that in the Everton game and that helped us."
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 19: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall of Everton is challenged by Curtis Jones of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Everton and Liverpool at Hill Dickinson Stadium on April 19, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall of Everton is challenged by Curtis Jones of Liverpool during the Premier League match at Hill Dickinson Stadium on April 19, 2026(Image: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
In matches against Everton and then Crystal Palace, while there are obvious defensive weaknesses, Jones did well. He was Liverpool's best player in the Merseyside derby and kept his place at full-back a week later ahead of Jeremie Frimpong.
Conor Bradley is working his way back from a long-term injury and it remains to be seen how quickly he will get back up to speed again, while there is an argument that Frimpong is better suited to being a winger than a defender.
Joe Gomez — primarily a center-back — is about to move into the final 12 months of his contract, and though he is more than capable of playing full-back, his fitness is never something to be banked on.
Jones, as a result, could have a genuine route to more minutes at right-back in the future. Certainly, it would be a concern if Dominik Szoboszlai had to play there as often next year.
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And, given he is very talented, homegrown, and earmarked by some as a potential future club captain, keeping Jones should be a priority — even though he hasn't started all that often under Slot.
If Liverpool is to successfully convince Jones to stay, offering him more minutes will be vital. Guaranteeing them in his favored role may prove difficult, on the evidence of this season, but this position could be another option for him to supplement them alongside that.
Going elsewhere would mean Jones playing in midfield. Pick the right move, and he could feasibly become the first name on the teamsheet at a major European side.
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The 25-year-old has never hidden his desire to stay in the long term, though. Even if some of those extra minutes might have to come at right-back, it is something that Jones — and Liverpool — should consider.