Andoni Iraola's Strong Support for Curtis Jones at Liverpool

Andoni Iraola walked into Liverpool with one message he wanted crystal clear before a ball is kicked: Curtis Jones matters.

The new head coach used his first press conference to plant a flag over the future of the 25-year-old midfielder, whose contract ticks into its final year with Inter Milan circling and Nottingham Forest linked from Italy.

Liverpool have already turned away two bids from Inter. Then came the claim from Serie A that Forest had an agreement in place. Jones needed only a raised eyebrow emoji on social media to swat that aside, a pointed dismissal that said enough without a single word.

Now Iraola has added his own voice.

A manager staking his claim

“I rate Curtis very highly. For me he is a great, great player and I hope he can continue with us and continue performing the way he has been performing,” Iraola said, speaking via the Liverpool Echo as he faced the media for the first time.

This was not a passing compliment. It sounded like a statement of intent.

“It’s very important that he’s Scouse, that he’s from here. I also like the personality. From the outside at least, he looks like a player with good character and I hope we can keep him, not only for this year but for more time.”

That line matters. Not only for this year. For more time.

In a summer of change, with a new head coach inheriting a squad shaped by another era, Iraola has picked out a homegrown midfielder as a pillar rather than a piece to cash in on.

A career caught between faith and uncertainty

Jones is already deep into his Liverpool story. At 25, he has 228 first-team appearances behind him, a total that would usually scream “established starter”.

Yet he has rarely felt untouchable.

Over the last two Premier League seasons, he has started just under half of Liverpool’s league games. Important, trusted, but never entirely secure. Always close enough to the team to matter, never quite far enough away to walk away without a second thought.

That kind of role can wear on a player. Especially one who grew up in the academy, who carries the weight of being the local lad in a global squad. It invites the question: how much do the club really believe in him?

Iraola’s early words leave little room for doubt. He spoke repeatedly about the need for depth, about the value of players who already know the demands of the club and the league. Jones fits that brief perfectly. Letting him go now, as he moves into what should be his peak years, would cut against everything the new coach says he wants.

The contract question

All of that still leads to the same hard reality: Jones has 12 months left on his deal.

Liverpool can be as firm as they like in their stance. Inter can keep testing the door. Forest can lurk in the background. The real hinge is whether the midfielder decides to commit the next stretch of his career to Anfield.

Right now, the club’s new head coach has done what he can on day one. He has gone public, praised the player’s ability, his character, his roots, and made it clear he sees him as central to the project rather than a saleable asset.

The next step will not be played out at a press conference table. It will come in private conversations, on the training pitch, and eventually across a contract negotiation.

If Iraola’s conviction translates into minutes, responsibility and a clearly defined role, Liverpool might not just fend off the summer interest. They might finally convince Curtis Jones that his prime belongs at Anfield.