Liverpool supporters have become used to seeing big players walk away from their club for absolutely nothing in recent years, and could be about to witness yet another Bosman exit.
Ibrahima Konate is the latest to leave without a transfer fee, having run down his contract and subsequently signed for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman joined the likes of Emre Can, Gini Wijnaldum, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah in leaving on a free, while Liverpool also failed to renew the contract of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who left with only weeks left to run on his deal.
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The cases of Konate, Can and Alexander-Arnold sting especially, given the trio of players were 27 or under when they left. All three should have commanded a big transfer fee.
Sadly, though, it appears that Liverpool, and sporting director Richard Hughes, have failed to learn from their mistakes, and are now reportedly willing to let Curtis Jones go into the final year of his contract before a potential free transfer exit in 2027.
Liverpool could lose Jones for nothing
Heading into the summer window it had started to feel as though Jones leaving Liverpool was now inevitable. Inter Milan are known admirers, and on Sunday they submitted an offer for the Scouser.
As The Times report, though, Liverpool are absolutely not happy with Inter’s bid of £21.7m, with Hughes himself said to have been ‘unimpressed’ by the level of the Italian champions’ offer.
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The Reds are reportedly looking for around £35m to sell Jones, and are also claimed to be taking their lead from the current midfield market, which could see the likes of Elliot Anderson, Mateus Fernandes and Adam Wharton all leave for enormous fees.
With Inter seemingly unwilling to get near to this, it is claimed that Liverpool are prepared to keep Jones and let him go into the final year of his contract next season. Discussions over a new deal said to be inactive, meaning the 25-year-old would then most likely go on a free next summer.
Liverpool must make a decision on Jones this summer
While it is fair to feel that Inter’s bid for Jones is on the low side, the fact is that Liverpool have backed themselves into a corner over their academy graduate.
It absolutely will not do for the Reds to keep losing significant money on these free transfer exits, and in the current market, Jones, with a decent chunk of time left on his contract, would likely be worth north of £50-60m.
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Liverpool are not in a position to be dictating terms too much to any potential buyer, and they must realise that selling Jones now – for any fee over £20m – is better than getting another year out of him and seeing him walk out of the door.
If they do want to dismiss all comers, then Liverpool have to begin negotiations with Jones over a new contract.
As we’ve seen with Konate and Alexander-Arnold, this will not end in Liverpool’s favour if they let their No. 17 head into next season without an extension. He will leave.
Given everything that has gone before, that cannot be allowed to happen.
Liverpool must make a decision over Jones this summer. Either he goes, and that is always going to be for less money than they’d ideally want, or he signs a new contract. The alternative is that Hughes makes a repeat mistake which has blotted the Reds’ copybook for the last decade.
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