Liverpool losing a solid squad option

[Getty Images] Curtis Jones wanted to explore a new opportunity in Italy - and Liverpool did not want to stand in his way. Last summer, it was Trent Alexander-Arnold who left his boyhood club for Real Madrid. This summer, it is Jones who has done the same, although his destination is Milan. From Liverpool's perspective, a £30m package represents good value as Jones only had one year left on his current deal. Selling Jones also generates immediate pure profit on a homegrown asset. It was either sell him now, sell him for less in January or let him leave for free next summer. On the pitch, Jones was versatile enough to play in a number of positions but he struggled to make one role his own. Off the pitch, Jones has always been honest and someone willing to take responsibility. He played 95 games for Liverpool in two seasons under former boss Arne Slot, so his presence as a solid squad option will be missed under Andoni Iraola. But it will give an opportunity for 19-year-old Trey Nyoni, who impressed in pre-season, to step up. "I rate Curtis very highly," Iraola said in his first news conference after taking charge of the Reds, adding he wanted Jones to stay and "continue performing the way he has been performing". He also highlighted that the player is a local lad - "he is Scouse, he is from here" - but with Jones now on his way, it means Liverpool will have no Scousers in their first-team squad. The effect of that remains to be seen.