Report: Another Liverpool star could be ready to walk away for nothing | OneFootball

Liverpool Could be Set to Lose Another Star for Free

Liverpool have managed to turn a routine contract issue into a wider test of judgement. With Michael Edwards stepping down as FSG CEO of Football in the middle of a major summer, the timing is poor and the optics are worse. A club trying to sharpen the squad for Andoni Iraola now has uncertainty at executive level and a growing problem around Curtis Jones.

According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool are prepared to hold their line on Jones even if it creates the real possibility of losing him for nothing later. That is a serious stance to take over a player who still has market value, still has squad value and, crucially, counts as pure profit under PSR if sold.

Inter Milan strategy looks obvious

Inter Milan’s position is straightforward. They like the player, they have already tested Liverpool’s resolve, and their latest bid of around £21m was never close to the reported £40m asking price. Piero Ausilio has already admitted there is a “significant gap” between the clubs. Fine. That should tell Liverpool one of two things, either Inter eventually pay up, or they do what smart clubs do and wait.

Italian reporting suggests exactly that. If they cannot force a breakthrough now, they may simply sit on the situation and move for Jones as a free agent once his deal expires. From Inter’s point of view, that is sensible. From Liverpool’s point of view, it is self-inflicted pressure.

Photo: IMAGO

Curtis Jones decision carries real cost

Jones is not a fringe asset with no accounting relevance. He is home-grown, saleable and useful. If Liverpool truly value him at £40m, then they either need a buyer willing to meet it or a contract extension that protects the club. The middle ground, keeping him and then waving him off for £0, is not hard-nosed, it is wasteful.

There is also a football angle. Liverpool still need midfield clarity under Iraola. Keeping an unsettled player into the final stretch of a deal rarely strengthens planning. If the club believe Jones matters, renew him. If they do not, sell him properly. Drifting towards a free transfer helps nobody except the club waiting on the other end.

Our View

This is the sort of story that drives supporters mad because it feels completely avoidable. Liverpool keep talking and acting like an elite club, then every so often they handle contracts like they have all the time in the world. They do not. If Curtis Jones is good enough to keep, then give him a proper deal and make your case. If he is not central to Iraola’s plans, then cash in now and use the money well.

The worst option is the one being discussed here, standing firm publicly, rejecting bids privately, then losing a home-grown midfielder for nothing. Supporters have seen too much of this kind of brinkmanship dressed up as discipline. It is not discipline if the outcome is damaging.

And there is a bigger concern. Edwards leaving at this point only adds to the sense that Liverpool are not as joined-up as they should be. The club need calm, decisive people making clean decisions. Instead, this has the look of internal uncertainty spilling into the market.

Fans can accept selling players. Fans can accept keeping players. What they struggle to accept is passivity. Jones may or may not be worth £40m in today’s market, but he is certainly worth more than letting the clock run out and pretending that is a strategy. If that happens, Liverpool will have nobody to blame but themselves.