Wantaway Liverpool star may have had his head turned by Andoni Iraola

Wantaway Liverpool star may have had his head turned by Andoni Iraola Richard Hughes and Andoni Iraola still have a lot of things to figure out this summer. The 2026-27 transfer window has only just opened but it feels like the Reds' window is already planned out. Their main target is clearly Yan Diomande and then if that doesn't work out, Bradley Barcola or Yankuba Minteh will make their way to the top of Liverpool's priority list . This summer, it feels like Liverpool have a couple of back-up options which, compared to last season, is very welcome. However, for all these deals to go through, the Reds need to move some of their own players on, even though their squad is already thin as it is. This is a far from ideal situation, especially for a club that wants to be challenging for silverware each year hence why the club needs to figure out who they can and can't sacrifice. Curtis Jones could end up playing an important role under Andoni Iraola Before Iraola was brought in, one player who felt almost guaranteed to exit was Curtis Jones . The Englishman was hardly given any playing time by Arne Slot and, when he was allowed to play, he was often used as a right-back. And, while Jones is defensively solid, he's certainly not a right-back which showed in almost each game he played due to his positioning and his ball recovery. However, now that the Spaniard is the one at the helm, Jones' future has been thrown up into the air again with TEAMtalk now claiming that Jones could actually play an important role for Iraola this season. Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets Open an account and place a qualifying bet of £10 at min odds of 1/5 (1.2) or greater. 18+New UK/ROI customers. Min £5 deposit. Bet Credits available on settlement of qualifying bets, capped at £10 stake. Min odds 1/5 (1.20). Bet Credits expire in 7 days. Excl. Cashed Out/Free Bets/Boosted odds. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org £30 FREE CLAIM NOW 18+Gambling can be addictive — please only bet what you can afford to lose. For free support visit BeGambleAware.org or call 0808 8020 133 (free, 24/7). Self-exclude at GAMSTOP.co.uk . AnfieldWatch is not a licensed betting operator. Offers subject to change. "Jones is excited by the prospect of joining the reigning Italian champions and believes the move represents the right next step in his career after spending his entire professional career at Anfield," they wrote. "Liverpool, meanwhile, are not under pressure to sell. While the Reds are open to offers, they continue to insist that Jones could still have an important role to play under Andoni Iraola should no agreement be reached before the close of the transfer window. "That stance has strengthened Liverpool’s negotiating position, even with the midfielder’s contract entering its final year. "For now, the two clubs remain some distance apart on valuation." Liverpool's best decision this summer could be to keep Curtis Jones at Anfield Jones may have played more minutes last season than ever before for Liverpool but, most of his appearances came at right-back. It felt like his time spent as Slot's right-back was a necessity rather than Slot actually wanting to give him a fair chance of proving his worth. Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch were regular starters for Slot and, if we're being honest, they were no where near the levels they'd shown in the past. But, when Jones was used as a central midfielder, he often outperformed everyone and actually managed to create a lot from the centre of the park. If Iraola plays a similar style of football at Anfield as he did at the Vitality, Jones would literally be the perfect player for his system. It's all about pressing and counter-attacking which are some of Jones best features. Of course, there's plenty of time left in the transfer window for things to change but, at the moment, it feels like Jones could be staying put, which would be incredible.