‘Lacked The Flashes Of Brilliance’ – Former Liverpool Star Short Of Inter Milan Starting Level | OneFootball

Naomi Baker/Getty Images

Former Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones has ‘lacked the flashes of brilliance’ needed to force his way into Inter Milan’s midfield unit on a regular basis, an Italian journalist has claimed.

Jones is a Red through and through, having come through Liverpool’s academy and spent almost a decade developing through the youth ranks.

The midfielder, who made his debut for the Reds in January 2019 against Wolves, went on to feature in 228 games for Liverpool across all competitions while scoring 22 goals.

Having entered the final year of his Liverpool contract, the midfielder completed a high-profile move to Inter Milan during the summer transfer window, signing a five-year deal with the Serie A giants.

However, his time with the Nerazzurri has not been ideal so far, as Jones is yet to register a goal contribution in four Serie A appearances.

He has though started only one of those four Serie A games and it has been suggested that Jones has not yet done enough to break into Inter Milan’s established midfield unit, with flashes of brilliance lacking.

Italian journalist Ivan Cardia wrote on Tutto Mercato Web: “Breaking into the pecking order, after all, is no easy feat, between Barella, Calhanoglu, Zielinski, and their team-mates.

“Tactically, he’d be perfect to integrate, but so far, he’s lacked the flashes of brilliance needed to challenge a unit that plays by rote. There’s plenty of time to get to grips with Chivu, however. “

Jones called time on his Liverpool career partly due to concerns about a lack of regular game time at Anfield, taking advantage of his contractual situation to get a move.

He is one of three English players to have joined Inter Milan in the summer, along with John Stones and Djed Spence.

Liverpool will keep a close eye on how Jones performs during his time at the San Siro, especially due to the sell-on clause they included in the deal with Inter Milan.

If Jones does look to return to the Premier League in the future then Liverpool would potentially be his preferred destination due to his deep association with the Reds.