Liverpool are SLEEPWALKING into another contract disaster

The form that Curtis Jones has found himself in is nothing short of remarkable.

He has forced his way into the Liverpool starting XI, seemingly displacing Dominik Szoboszlai on the inside-right position of centre midfield. He grabbed a goal and an assist when trusted to start against Chelsea last month and his string of performances forced him into his first England call-up.

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And in his England debut last night, despite playing his lesser-spotted defensive midfield role, Jones picked up both man of the match and the goal that put England 3-0 up - an audacious backheel flick from a Morgan Gibbs-White cross.

One of the main storylines surrounding Liverpool this season has been regarding contract extensions. Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are all notoriously out of contract at the end of the season, and rumours are that Liverpool are eyeing up extended deals for Ibrahima Konate and Luis Diaz as well.

Yet, if anyone has earned a new deal and has a right to feel undervalued, it is Jones. His current deal runs until 2027 - which was most recently extended in 2022 - and he is one of the lowest-paid players on Liverpool’s books at the moment.

Rumours as recent as January this year emerged that Liverpool were looking to offer Jones a new extension up to 2029, but nothing concrete emerged in the aftermath.

Jones contract could spell disaster

And whilst his loyalties run deep, the potential of a team to offer above and beyond Jones’s current deal is one that Liverpool should not take a chance on.

If Liverpool are unable to reach a deal with any of the big three that they are having to negotiate with this season, some of those funds should be immediately diverted into retaining Jones’s services for as long as possible.

They will, of course, have to sign direct replacements for those positions. But Arne Slot’s ability to develop players in a short time period has been demonstrated multiple times, with Jones being another example.

As a versatile midfielder that can play in any role asked of him and contribute at a high level, this decision seems like a no-brainer.

Sporting director Richard Hughes is keen to avoid a repeat of the Salah-Trent-Van Dijk scenario. Don’t overthink this one.

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