Curtis Jones has been urged to resist the lure of a move to Italy and fight for his place at Liverpool under new head coach Andoni Iraola. The 25-year-old midfielder is in the final 12 months of his current contract, with no signs of a new deal being agreed, and the Reds are open to selling him this summer.
Jones' Role and Interest from Clubs
Jones made 49 appearances for Liverpool last season, his most in a single campaign, but only 28 were as a starter. He ended the campaign playing out of position at right-back. Inter Milan saw an offer of around £20 million rejected for Jones earlier in the transfer window, with Liverpool valuing the player in excess of £30 million. Nottingham Forest and Galatasaray have also expressed interest.
Despite the interest, Jones remains part of Iraola's squad and is expected to feature prominently in the United States tour, where Liverpool will face Sunderland, Wrexham, and Leeds United over the next fortnight.
Silvestre Advises Jones to Stay
Former Inter defender Mikael Silvestre, now director of football for Romanian side CFR Cluj, believes Jones would be better served staying at Anfield. Drawing a comparison with Scott McTominay, who left Manchester United for Napoli, Silvestre said: "We talk about Scott McTominay but we only get this type of reaction if a player is doing well. We had no idea McTominay would do as well as he’s done with Napoli. So for Curtis Jones, he has to decide whether or not he wants to go, and there’s got to be an agreement with the club."
Silvestre added: "If he feels that under a new manager he can get the time and the opportunity to grab a place in the team should he work hard in training then I think he should stay. Liverpool are Liverpool and I think he’s got the best opportunity to show he has the mentality to stay and fight under a new manager."
Opportunity Under New Manager
Speaking to Grosvenor Sport, Silvestre highlighted the potential for Jones under Iraola: "A new manager means new opportunities and maybe he can show something different because so many of the other players will have been involved at the World Cup. They will come back later and tired from the tournament like Alexis Mac Allister. Jones has an opportunity to show that he belongs at Liverpool and he can be an important player for Andoni Iraola."
