Curtis Jones future: Why Liverpool and Arne Slot are facing a midfield crisis amid Inter Milan interest in January

The sale of Curtis Jones from Liverpool to Inter Milan would expose a deepening midfield crisis at Anfield.

Arne Slot named Jones on the bench against Newcastle United on Saturday, with the match a crucial clash in the race to secure a place in the Premier League's top four.

However, Inter are reportedly keen on bringing the midfielder to the San Siro, though it remains to be seen if the Reds would be willing to sanction an exit when the January window closes on Monday.

Even if the club keep Jones beyond the winter, talk of his exit this winter has surfaced discussions about the Merseysiders' lack of depth.

Here, Sports Mole explores why Liverpool are facing an impending crisis in midfield in the coming months.

Curtis Jones to Inter Milan: Why it makes no sense

Allowing Jones to leave to Inter would significantly weaken the squad, particularly as he has arguably been the club's second-best midfielder this term.

Dominik Szoboszlai has excelled wherever he has played, but the performances of Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch have been consistently poor.

Slot has looked to start at least three of those four players, so moving Jones on would leave the team with no suitable rotation option.

Japan international Wataru Endo has rarely been trusted by the Dutch boss, while it would be surprising if teenager Trey Nyoni was given many minutes outside of the FA Cup.

Considering injuries are currently plaguing the Liverpool squad, it is hard to see Mac Allister, Gravenberch and Szoboszlai staying fit for the remainder of the campaign if there was an even smaller pool of midfielders available.

With Liverpool still in the Champions League, and in the race for a place in the top four, letting Jones depart would be unthinkable.

Curtis Jones exit: Why Liverpool may still consider sale

Though Jones is likely to stay beyond the winter, he will only have a year left on his contract in the summer, and a decision will have to be made about his future.

With Andrew Robertson and Ibrahima Konate's deals expiring at the end of the season, it would be understandable if the club looked to move Jones on while he still has value.

While selling the Englishman in the summer would not necessarily be a mistake as they would be able to replace him, there is an argument that the club would then need to sign at least two midfielders.

Gravenberch played well as a number six last term, but he has found it difficult to deal with the demands of the role this season, while Mac Allister has struggled with the intensity and physicality of the Premier League.

Given Liverpool will likely need at least one centre-back, one winger and potentially a number of squad options, completely revamping the midfield could cause more disruption to the team than is necessary.

Summer transfer window: What do Liverpool need?

Liverpool have lacked a progressive passer from deep this season, with the skillset of right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold not replaced in the summer of 2025.

Though the Reds are unlikely to find a right-back that profiles similarly to the Real Madrid man, they could look to replace his ability on the ball by signing a midfielder such as Adam Wharton.

The Crystal Palace star has been tentatively linked with a move to Anfield, and his ability to quickly advance up the pitch could help get more out of the likes of Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz.

Slot would have to ensure that he is positioned next to a partner with a high level of physicality and athleticism, though Liverpool may have to scour the market for that profile, which has become increasingly rare in recent years.