Why Liverpool want to sign £50m Premier League star

Liverpool meet Newcastle United at St. James’ Park on Sunday in a Premier League curtain-raiser that will provide the Reds with a better understanding of how ready they are for the Andoni Iraola era.

Iraola, 44, replaced Arne Slot this summer after a dour year on Merseyside, and while his front-footed, “vertical” playing style aligns more closely with the game-plan that fans have come to love after nearly a decade under Jurgen Klopp’s wing, he still needs a number of new parts – namely in attack.

Paris Saint-Germain forwards Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye are both on the radar. FSG are optimistic that both deals can be completed before the transfer deadline, and with Mohamed Salah having left for Trabzonspor and Cody Gakpo’s move to Tottenham Hotspur in the pipeline, it’s surely needed.

However, there are other potential exits for Iraola and co to consider, with Curtis Jones’ move to Inter Milan edging toward completion.

Why Liverpool are selling Curtis Jones

Jones has been a mainstay for the wider Liverpool squad over the years, but he has struggled to cement himself as one of the most important players at the club. He finally seems disillusioned with his role at his boyhood side, eager to pursue the move to Inter Milan which has become a protracted summer saga.

Jones has been the Scudetto-winning side’s top target since January, but deliberations rumble on regarding Liverpool’s £35m price tag of their midfielder, technicially smooth, athletic and progressive when on the ball. In Italian football, he could thrive.

The hard truth is that Jones still won’t get the minutes he desires in the Premier League. Not for Liverpool. Too many remain ahead of him in the pecking order, and shoddy pre-season form will not have done the six-time England international any favours.

Especially when a rising star such as Trey Nyoni has taken centre-stage and staked his claim for a leading role over the coming year. FSG and Iraola may feel that Jones can be shipped on without the need for a big-money replacement, such is the potential at Nyoni’s feet.

However, supporters might argue that the Anfield side still need more central depth.

Liverpool eyeing late-window move for Jones replacement

Nyoni has the potential to become a superstar, but Liverpool won’t want to overburden their rising midfield star too early. He only featured six times in the Premier League last season, starting none of those games. An external solution might be needed.

Well, according to journalist Dylan McBennett, Liverpool have joined rivals Manchester United in lining up a late-stage move to sign Bournemouth’s Tyler Adams, with reports throughout the summer suggesting the Premier League club will demand £50m for the USMNT international.

Adams might not be quite as elegant on the eye as Jones from a tactical standpoint, but the American talent brings a high-energy, defensively sound playing style that could bear dividends for a Liverpool squad who lacked any kind of steely physicality last season.

Jones was firm enough in the duel, winning 51% of his attempts in the Premier League, but the lion’s share of his action was spent in advanced midfield positions, and with Florian Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai ready to dance in such areas over the coming year, Jones may be somewhat redundant.

Adams, by contrast, brings a kind of profile that Liverpool might not have at all. Ryan Gravenberch is elegant and press-resistent, but he’s not a powerful midfield anchor at No. 6. Alexis Mac Allister’s fall-off is also a concern, even if he has been entrusted with a leading role at the start of the Iraola era.

Adams only started 21 top-flight matches under Iraola’s management last season due to injury, but he grew into his role and showcased the kind of defensive acumen that deserted the Reds last year. He averaged 11.80 defensive contributions per game, putting him in the top 22% of midfielders for that metric.

Liverpool fell by the wayside under Slot’s management last season, scraping a fifth-place finish and thus landing a Champions League reprisal through the new UEFA co-efficient rankings.

In another world, Iraola’s Bournemouth might have pipped Liverpool to the prize. Had Adams been fit for a bit more of the campaign, he might have proved the difference-maker. Iraola’s a big fan, and now, he can bring him over to Anfield.