Curtis Jones could be in line for position change at Liverpool after Arne Slot hint

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Curtis Jones looks set to play in a similar position to Ryan Gravenberch after Arne Slot said he was happy with his overall progression at Liverpool.

The midfielder has been second fiddle to the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Gravenberch for some time now, but every time Slot has given him a chance, he’s been one of the best players on the pitch.

For example, in the first 45 minutes of Wednesday’s 5-1 win against Eintracht Frankfurt, Jones was arguably Liverpool’s best player.

And, by the end of the tie, he’d made the most forward passes out of everyone on the pitch while also managing to cover every single blade of grass.

However, this all came from Jones being played as a defensive midfielder, rather than in his usual area of midfield, with Slot now saying that he purposely played the Englishman there against Frankfurt.

Curtis Jones could become Liverpool’s backup defensive midfielder sooner than many think

On the face of things, Wataru Endo and Mac Allister are clearly Slot’s preferred choices to be Gravenberch’s backup.

More often than not this season, Jones has been used in a more advanced role and, while many see that as his best position, it’s clear that he thrived as a number six on Wednesday.

His work rate, coupled with his keen eye for a pass and his defensive contributions, make it so he’s the perfect choice to be Slot’s defensive midfielder when Gravenberch isn’t available.

And, while speaking in his pre-Brentford press conference, it seems like Slot is now thinking this way, with the Dutchman admitting that he started him further back against Frankfurt on purpose.

“I’m not surprised he touched the ball so often as we put him a bit lower against a team with a low block that didn’t press the ball,” he said.

“Curtis’s playing time has gone up since I’ve been here. There’s a reason for that. I like how he has progressed.

“With him, as every player, he is in competition with five or six other good midfielders.”

Curtis Jones may end up keeping Stefan Bajcetic and James McConnell out of Liverpool’s plans for good

At the moment, Gravenberch is undeniably one of the Premier League’s best defensive midfielders.

However, when he’s injured or just needs a rest, it’s always going to be a good idea for Liverpool to have a solid backup who can instantly plug the gap.

And, although that was Endo last year, his performance levels seem to have dropped massively, which brought up the potential inclusion of Stefan Bajcetic.

The Spaniard was initially brought into Liverpool’s first-team squad by Jurgen Klopp, but after he spent a year out injured, he has not managed to make it back in, despite having an impressive loan spell with Las Palmas.

Now that Jones has been used deeper and has outshone most of his teammates when chosen, it feels like the potential of Bajcetic or even James McConnell making their way into the team is minuscule.

On paper, this is good news as it means the Reds will always have a first-team ready player to fill in, but it does beg the question of what’s now going to happen to Bajcetic and McConnell.