ESPN pundit says Liverpool won’t win anything if 22-year-old starts for them this season

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Liverpool have been told they won’t win anything this season if Curtis Jones starts at the base of midfield this season.

Pundit Steve Nicol was speaking on ESPN FC about Liverpool’s midfield conundrum.

Jurgen Klopp would have been well aware that change was coming in the centre of the pitch for this side this summer.

Four midfielders were set to depart at the end of their contract when last season ended.

Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai were lined up to replace the likes of Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

However, the huge impact of the Saudi league has been felt at Anfield and Jordan Henderson and Fabinho have departed now too.

That’s left Liverpool short in midfield once again, with Romeo Lavia the main candidate to replace two Champions League-winning stars.

However, it could mean that some of the club’s young players are given a bigger role this season.

Nicol has said that if Curtis Jones starts regularly as a holding midfielder for Liverpool, they won’t win anything next year.

The 22-year-old was brilliant last year and starred at the Under-21 European Championships.

But Jones has rarely played as the deepest midfielder in Liverpool’s system and that may be a problem.

Liverpool won’t win anything this season if Jones starts

Speaking about Liverpool’s prospects next year, Nicol said: “If Liverpool want to be pushing for the Premier League title or the Champions League, any of the big prizes, they need someone who is going to be playing now and who’s going to do the job.

“They can’t wait on a [Romeo] Lavia getting better or hoping that [Curtis] Jones can fill in. That doesn’t get you Premier League titles or Champions Leagues.

“It’s a big problem right now.”

Jones is set for a big season at Liverpool and will be hoping he starts as many games as possible.

However, he’s not a defensive midfielder and it would be a huge challenge for him to play in that role.

That’s especially when you consider that Trent Alexander-Arnold could make a permanent shift into midfield.

Whoever plays alongside him needs to make up for his lack of experience in that area and Jones wouldn’t be the most suitable candidate.