Curtis Jones can step up and prevent Liverpool from signing a midfielder by adapting to play as a No 6 next season.
After Gini Wijnaldum’s departure, the Reds have been linked with a whole host of potential new midfielders.
We were big advocates of signing a new man. Wijnaldum was Liverpool’s most-used midfielder last season, so we believed that it would have been incompetent of the club to not replace him.
However, it now appears that management sees Harvey Elliott as a No 8. That is the position that he is likely to be used in going forward.
That leaves Liverpool with eight senior midfielders. That is more than enough to get them through the season.
The only issue is that there are really only three players that are comfortable with playing as the deeper-lying No 6.
Fabinho is the guaranteed starter in that role, with Jordan Henderson able to move across if the Brazilian does not play.
Thiago can also do it, especially when Liverpool are dominating possession.
But after that, there is nobody. It is one underrated aspect of Wijnaldum’s game that will be hugely missed.
The issue is that all three of Fabinho, Henderson and Thiago are quite injury-prone. It is very easy to imagine them all being out at the same time.
With no Wijnaldum, Liverpool would then be in trouble.
That’s why signing a Florian Neuhaus, Yves Bissouma or Saul (No 8’s that can also play at 6) would have made sense.
However, we believe that Curtis Jones has all the tools to fill in in that role if necessary.
It could well make more sense to play him there than it would to sign a midfielder this summer.
Jones has attributes to play as a No 6 – opens up a move for dream target
First of all, we will explain why we believe that Jones can play as a No 6.
He is tall, energetic and leggy. Physically, he is not too dissimilar to Fabinho.
Last season, we saw the 20-year-old playing with a maturity that probably shocked a lot of people.
His natural game is akin to that of a street footballer. Close control, mazy dribbles, flicks and tricks come easy to him.
Yet in 2020/21, he sacrificed a lot of that to play a safer role. He was rarely in the wrong position defensively and Jurgen Klopp trusted him 100%.
So, he has the tactical discipline to play the role too, as well as the press resistance needed to avoid oncoming defenders.
When you consider all of these factors, it is obvious that Jones can play as a holding midfielder if he had to.
Next, we will explain why it could be best for Liverpool to trust him in that role, rather than signing someone new.
Liverpool’s first-choice midfield is Henderson, Fabinho and Thiago. For us, a fit Keita is next in line, no matter who is signed.
So, a new midfielder will not be playing every week if those players stay fit.
By 2022, the first-choice midfield three will be a year older. Thiago and Henderson will be advancing into their 30’s.
So, there will be space for someone new to break in as a regular starter. There could even be room for two.
We here at RTK believe that Jude Bellingham should be the future of Liverpool’s midfield.
The Englishman cannot be signed this summer, but it could be possible in 2022.
So, Liverpool could be better off waiting to spend the funds they have put aside for a midfielder this year and spending it next year instead.
By trusting Harvey Elliott to cover Wijnaldum’s minutes as a No 8 and Curtis Jones to cover his minutes as a No 6, the Reds can afford to do it.
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