Curtis Jones has completed his summer move from Liverpool to Inter Milan, and journalist Graeme Bailey has provided a significant update on his replacement.
The 25-year-old’s time with the Reds is over, and he took to social media on Friday evening to show his love for his teammates and the supporters, saying:
“To all the lads I’ve shared a dressing room with over the years, thank you. I’ve played with some unbelievable players and made friendships that I know I’ll have for life.
“Thank you to the fans that stuck by me and always supported me. I will always be one of you. Now it’s time for a new challenge and a new chapter for me and my family, and I’m excited for what’s ahead. But Liverpool will always be a massive part of me. I came here as a kid with a dream and I’m leaving having lived it.”
For many Liverpool fans, the Reds must bring in a tailor-made replacement for Jones, but speaking to TEAMtalk, Bailey claimed Trey Nyoni is likely to be the man to fill the void, also discussing previous options:
“Before pre-season I am told that Andoni Iraola, aware of the Curtis Jones situation, was worried about the depth – one reason he wanted Jones to stay. Iraola also wanted work done on other options and we can confirm that was the case. A host of options were assessed – they looked at the Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes situations, but they were not right for them.
“But the likes of Adam Wharton, Alex Scott and Lamine Camara – very good young players – have been assessed and they like what they have seen and heard, but we are talking £50, £60 or even more than £70million in terms of deals.
“Then in comes Nyoni and he has blown Iraola away, they firmly believe he is first-team ready and can compete with the likes of Szoboszlai, Gravenberch and Mac Allister – they really see that as a midfield four and they even have Endo still around.”
Can Trey Nyoni become a genuine Liverpool squad player?
Nyoni has a strong case for being Liverpool’s best player in pre-season, and he is a young footballer with so much promise in midfield, displaying calm, intelligence and technical ability.
But making that step up to being a genuine squad option like Jones will be a huge challenge for the 19-year-old, and the Reds not signing another midfielder is a massive gamble.
It would be fantastic if Nyoni shows why there was no need to bring in a fresh face, with the Englishman pushing others for regular starts, but it is asking a lot of him.
Assuming no addition is made and Iraola trusts in Nyoni, only time will tell if it was the right decision.
