Paul Joyce highlights three stats which should have Liverpool going all-out to keep Curtis Jones

The journalist wrote: ‘It is not too difficult to imagine the reaction among Liverpool supporters were they to read that the club was pursuing a player second only to Rodri among midfielders for passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season.

‘Add to that, he is also ranked second behind Moisés Caicedo for passing accuracy, and second to Rayan Cherki for the number of carries, among those who have performed for at least 1,000 minutes in their club’s engine room.

‘The clamour to sign him would be off the scale. Show reels from YouTube and clips on X going viral in a nanosecond. That player is already at Liverpool’s disposal, although for how long remains to be seen. Curtis Jones has a decision to make.’

(Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

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Selling Jones would make no sense for Liverpool

The performance figures highlighted by Joyce might come as a surprise to those who routinely criticise Jones as being short of the required standard for a Liverpool player.

The table below (from The Times) shows where the 25-year-old ranks among midfielders in the Premier League for three of the most important traits of a player in that position, and his underlying numbers in the recent Merseyside derby were outstanding.

In that context, it’d be hard to blame the Reds’ number 17 if he were to crave a transfer to a club where he’d be a guaranteed starter, and the Merseysiders would certainly have to pay a rather substantial amount if they were to sign an England international of his age and performance figures who’s one appearance shy of 150 in the country’s top flight.

Liverpool have operated with a sell-to-buy policy which has seen big-money signings funded by the exits of players who can command a handsome fee, as illustrated last summer by the departures of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Jarell Quansah and Caoimhin Kelleher, among others.

The Reds would certainly be able to demand a sizeable sum to part with Jones this year, but unless he were banging down the door to leave, it’d make little sense to offload him and then have to identify and recruit a superior replacement.

Hopefully all parties concerned can reach an amicable agreement over a contract extension for the 25-year-old sooner rather than later.