Solving the Curtis Jones Puzzle with Data (ft. Comparison with E. Anderson & A. Wharton)

The England international will enter the final 12 months of his contract at Liverpool in the summer, with exit rumours heating up

Written on 05/02/2026

After a puzzling rumour linked Curtis Jones to Inter Milan during the latter part of the January window, it became increasingly apparent that the midfielder could be on his way out of Liverpool in the summer. Paul Joyce also reported that Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a summer move for the player, who will enter the final 12 months of his contract at Anfield at the end of this season.

The England international turned 25 last week and last signed a major contract with the club over three years ago, which runs until 2027. As things stand, there has been no breakthrough in negotiations, with him looking ‘more out than in’ when it comes to his place in the squad at the start of next season.

Jones is a tidy midfield player capable of operating in multiple positions across the central areas and has even been used as a right-back by Arne Slot on a few occasions. That said, he is now 25 and has yet to feature regularly in the starting XI when everyone is fit, with Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, and Ryan Gravenberch still ahead of him.

However, Mac Allister has been underwhelming this season, to say the least. Coupled with injuries at right-back that have forced Szoboszlai into that position, Jones has seen significantly more game time this season, especially compared to the last few years. Before analysing his performances, let’s take a look at his playing time numbers over recent seasons.

Compared to the last two seasons under Jürgen Klopp, Jones has featured far more regularly under Slot since the start of last season. If things go well and Liverpool make deep runs in the Champions League and FA Cup, the Englishman could surpass the 2,500-minute mark across all competitions this season; a first in a Red shirt.

Is Jones Liverpool’s best midfielder not named Szoboszlai this season?

How have his performances and numbers compared to the other starting central midfielders at Liverpool been this season? The tables below showcase this comparison.

We will start with metrics covering passing and chance creation.

In terms of keeping possession ticking with passes of all kinds (overall and into the final third), Jones has been Liverpool’s best midfielder this season. He is beaten by Szoboszlai in chances created, but leads in expected assists (even though he is last in actual assists).

Next up, possession and ball carrying metrics.

A critical ball loss is when a player loses possession in a way that likely increases defensive risk for their team because many teammates (four or more) are bypassed or out of position when the turnover happens.

Because the 25-year-old is a touch magnet (over 90 touches in a game), his touches-per-loss-of-possession rate is relatively low. He has been effective at avoiding costly turnovers this season (denoted by Critical Ball Loss), compared to 1.36 per 90 last season. That said, he does have a tendency to dwell on the ball and get tackled in possession, more so than other Liverpool midfielders.

He ranks only behind Gravenberch in progressive carrying distance and second to Szoboszlai in chance-ending carries.

So, while there is some frustration in how he uses the ball, he has been very solid overall compared to the other midfielders in the team.

Lastly for this section, the defensive numbers.

PAdj: Possession-adjusted

In terms of ball recoveries and contesting ground duels, Jones is a tenacious player who would get stuck into midfield battles and make key recoveries in both the middle and final third.

When it comes to reading the game and making crucial interceptions, Gravenberch and an out-of-form Mac Allister are ahead. Meanwhile, all the other midfielders boast aerial duel win rates above 40% (Gravenberch over 50%), while Jones sits at just 33.3% despite contesting a high number of aerial duels.

Merging all the facts discussed above with the eye test, I believe Jones has been Liverpool’s second-best midfielder this season, behind Szoboszlai. That said, it’s worth noting that Mac Allister’s dip in form and Gravenberch’s occasional inconsistency have lowered the bar a touch.

All that is well and good, but where does the 25-year-old rank in key metrics among Premier League midfielders, and can Liverpool realistically sign an upgrade on him this summer? The next section explores that.