Curtis Jones Scout Report At Liverpool 2026/2027: Should Andoni Iraola Keep Him? – Player Analysis
Who Is Curtis Jones?
Curtis Jones is an interesting case at Liverpool.
For many, it's key to keep him around.
He is, after Trent Alexander-Arnold's controversial free transfer in 2025, the sole "Scouser in the team".
He is the connection for lots of fans, a local boy playing for his club.
The passion that comes through in Jones's interviews and on the pitch is obvious.
For others, and if you believe the rumours around the club, he is a sellable asset.
Pure profit in the Financial Fair Play era.
With 12 months to go on his current contract, the issue is becoming increasingly pressing.
For transparency, I am a Liverpool fan.
I am also a huge Curtis Jones fan, and I would absolutely love him to stay at the club for the rest of his career.
For the benefit of this article, I will be as balanced as possible, taking into consideration both his strengths and weaknesses.
Last season was a struggle for Jones and the club in general.
Arne Slot followed up his league-winning season with a disappointing campaign, resulting in his sacking.
Andoni Iraola was the man chosen to replace the Dutchman.
Iraola has already said how much he likes the midfielder, saying in his opening press conference: "For me, he is a great, great player, and I hope he can continue with us and continue performing the way he has been performing."
This Curtis Jones scout report and player analysis will look at Jones' 2025/2026 season, what he could offer Iraola's new iteration of the side and why the club might potentially sanction a sale.
Curtis Jones Positioning In Liverpool Tactics
Slot used a 4-2-3-1 for the majority of last season.
The aim of the side was to build on the title-winning team, which revolved around maximising Mohamed Salah's attacking output.
Things didn't work out that way.
The major signings struggled with injuries and fitting into the system.
Liverpool also lost all their senior right-backs (which played a huge part in Jones' season).
The side looked to build up through central areas, getting the ball into the double pivot.
They would then look to get the ball into the feet of Florian Wirtz or Salah, and push the full-backs as high as possible.
They wanted to play quick, transitional football.
Slot, though, struggled to adapt when most teams sat in a block against them, and they also struggled with the physicality, often getting easily turned over and exposed by man-to-man pressing systems.
Jones ranked 11th in the Liverpool squad for minutes played last season, yet he wasn't a fixture in the team.
While predominantly a central midfielder, he was often seen filling in at right-back due to the injuries and struggles of Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong.
Of his 28 starts, seven were at full-back.
His 2025/2026 season heat map demonstrates that he was often tasked with covering wider areas of the pitch.
Curtis Jones Heat Map 2025/2026
