Liverpool: How the 'eternal promise' Curtis Jones became Arne Slot's Guti

Curtis Jones once provided the purest illustration of what it means to live a dream, when six years ago a local lad from the city bent a magnificent winner beyond Jordan Pickford to secure a 1-0 FA Cup victory for Liverpool over bitter rivals Everton at Anfield, creating the kind of moment most academy players only ever imagine in childhood.

Jurgen Klopp always wanted Liverpool to be more than a successful side, because he wanted the club to carry identity, emotion and local soul through the team.

In many ways supporters will forever remain indebted to the German for bringing through two priceless academy products in Jones and Trent Alexander-Arnold, one of whom has already left for Real Madrid while fears continue to grow that the other may also depart in the summer.

Curtis Jones - the rise under Jurgen Klopp

Under the watchful guidance of Steven Gerrard, a figure many still regard as Liverpool’s greatest modern midfielder, Jones progressed through the academy carrying the sort of technical assurance and natural swagger that instantly separates certain young players from the rest, and it quickly became clear that he possessed the temperament required to make the jump to senior football.

Klopp then played a decisive role in shaping the next phase of Jones's career. Beyond handing him opportunities, the former Reds boss gave the midfielder the confidence and emotional security to believe he belonged among elite professionals, something that often proves just as important as tactical coaching for young footballers attempting to establish themselves.

In the years that followed, Jones became a regular presence around the first-team squad, and although he never quite nailed down an undisputed starting place, he repeatedly delivered flashes of exceptional quality, whether through elegant midfield displays or unforgettable moments such as the brilliant solo goal in the 5-1 victory over West Ham that reminded everyone of the talent Liverpool had in their ranks.

Jones is the type of footballer who may have been appreciated even more loudly had he emerged at a major Spanish club, because his game is built around control, intelligence and technical subtlety rather than brute force.

While comparisons with Barcelona's Pedri would be excessive, there are similarities in the calmness, close control and instinctive understanding of rhythm that define both players.

Curtis Jones - frustrations under Arne Slot

Although Jones made 46 appearances last season and has already reached 45 this term, there remains a lingering sense that Arne Slot has not fully embraced him as a central pillar of the side, because total appearances can often disguise the difference between being trusted and merely being used.

It is true that Jones has recorded a career-best 2,490 minutes this season, yet he still appears behind Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch in the midfield pecking order, which naturally raises questions about how he is viewed internally.

Much of the frustration among supporters stems from the belief that Jones has often looked the sharper and more complete midfielder than at least some of those ahead of him this season, and yet being restricted to only 14 Premier League starts has created the feeling that his ability is not being rewarded proportionately.

Curtis Jones Inter Milan links, contract, and a summer crossroads

During the January transfer window, Jones was linked with a loan move to Inter Milan, and while Liverpool were understandably unwilling to sanction an exit midway through the campaign, the very existence of that interest served as a reminder that top European clubs recognise his quality.

Jones remains under contract until 2027, but with no significant noise surrounding an extension, speculation over his long-term future has naturally intensified.

Leaving Liverpool would represent an emotional wrench for a player who joined the club at the age of nine, but football careers are short and if regular starts cannot be guaranteed, even the deepest bonds can be tested by professional ambition.

Aston Villa have been credited with interest, and Liverpool would surely think carefully before allowing another home-grown talent to walk away so soon after Alexander-Arnold’s departure.

The right-back role - perfect replacement for Alexander-Arnold?

Liverpool have faced recurring problems at right-back this season, with Jeremie Frimpong suffering multiple injury setbacks and Conor Bradley ruled out for the remainder of the campaign, forcing Slot to search for creative solutions.

Szoboszlai filled in admirably on occasions, but Slot may have uncovered something even more intriguing by using Jones there, because the Scouser possesses the press resistance, technical security and spatial awareness that modern full-backs increasingly require.

Jones rarely gives the ball away cheaply, carries himself with real composure in possession, and most importantly has the quality to absorb pressure before linking seamlessly with midfield areas, attributes that made Alexander-Arnold so valuable even if the 25-year-old expresses them in a different stylistic manner.

Slot was quick to praise Jones after the recent win over Crystal Palace and even drew comparisons with the departed full-back, which was both a compliment and a subtle indication of how he could use him in the future.

“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 Alexander-Arnold," said Slot, as quoted by Liverpool Echo.

“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.”

Curtis Jones - will he leave Liverpool?

Even if Jones has helped solve several tactical problems in the closing weeks of the season, it is difficult to imagine that he sees himself as Liverpool’s long-term answer at right-back, because his instincts and natural gifts belong in central areas where matches can be controlled.

Jones has the rare ability to dictate tempo and carry a game through midfield, but if Slot remains unconvinced about using him there regularly, then a summer exit could become less surprising with every passing week.

It must also be said that the England international carries some responsibility for his own predicament, because there have been moments when chances arrived without being seized emphatically enough, while injuries at unfortunate times have repeatedly interrupted the momentum required to cement his place.

After all these years, Jones still occupies football’s most tantalising category, the eternal promise, because he remains a player whose talent is obvious, whose ceiling is high, yet whose defining breakthrough has somehow stayed just beyond reach, evoking memories of gifted figures such as Guti who fascinated as much as they frustrated.

Perhaps a more adventurous coach such as Xabi Alonso might one day unlock every dimension of his game, but that remains speculation, whereas the present reality is simpler and more urgent, because if Jones is to become the light for others, he must first step fully out of his own shadow.