The statistical gap in Liverpool’s midfield
Liverpool finished their domestic campaign with questions orbiting the engine room, specifically surrounding the future of Curtis Jones. While Inter Milan have maintained a persistent interest in the midfielder, the numbers suggest that selling him now would be a tactical blunder. Over the 2025-26 season, Jones maintained a season-long pass completion rate of 91.4 percent under pressure in the middle third.
This efficiency is not merely about retaining possession. Jones functioned as the primary pivot for lateral movement, transitioning the team from a defensive low block into a high-octane offensive transition. When compared to the previous campaign, his forward-progression passes per 90 minutes increased by 18 percent. He is no longer just a stabilizer; he is a primary vertical link.
Defensive limitations and tactical risks
Despite his distribution metrics, Jones carries a clear defensive liability. The data shows he won only 42 percent of his defensive duels during the closing three months of the season. This often left the back four isolated against opposition counter-attacks when the team pressed high. As recent reports indicate, a bidding war could materialize, but a departure forces a complete redistribution of defensive duties.
Consider the contrast between Jones and a more traditional defensive operator like the 2010 Inter Milan side that mastered the defensive low block. While modern coaching prioritizes high-intensity pressure, Liverpool’s reliance on Jones for structure created an expected goals against (xGA) figure of 1.2 per match. When Jones was rotated out for more physical profiles in the 70th minute, that figure rose to 1.7. His ability to read the game effectively mitigates his lack of raw physical dueling power.
The cost of the rotation
The tactical risk of losing Jones is compounded by the squad’s aging profile and current recruitment targets. Scouting reports from elsewhere in the league show that teams like Newcastle are looking at specialized defenders, such as Oscar Mingueza, to solve their own transition issues as outlined in recent transfer tracking. Liverpool does not have that luxury; they need a midfielder who can retain the ball under high-pressing triggers.
If the club cashes in now, they require an immediate successor capable of maintaining that 91.4 percent completion rate. Historically, that level of reliability is rarely found in players under the age of 26. In the 2025-26 Premier League season, only three players across the entire league bettered his accuracy in the final third while starting at least 25 matches. Selling to Inter Milan may generate a significant fee, but it creates a void in positional discipline that will likely cost more than 75 million pounds to replace in the current market.
