A fresh report has suggested that Newcastle may be prepared to sacrifice one player in order to facilitate a proposed summer raid on Liverpool for Curtis Jones.
The Reds midfielder is rumoured to be a transfer target for Inter Milan amid uncertainty over his future at Anfield, with David Lynch recently claiming that discussions over a new contract for the 25-year-old have ‘effectively ceased’.
According to Football Insider, the Magpies might also be in contention to sign the Toxteth native, with their report stating that the Tyneside club ‘should be leading the race’ for his signature.
It’s added that the St James’ Park hierarchy may be prepared to make room in Eddie Howe’s squad for the Liverpool ace by offloading Joe Willock, with The Athletic reporting that Newcastle are willing to entertain offers for the 26-year-old as he enters the final year of his contract.
It’s claimed that financial constraints for the Tynesiders could oblige them to adopt a ‘one-in, one-out’ approach in order to bring in Jones.
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Since a barnstorming finish to the 2020/21 season in which he scored in seven consecutive Premier League games (including a stoppage-time equaliser at Anfield), Willock has struggled to replicate that impact for Newcastle, with just 11 goals across all competitions in the subsequent five years.
Similar to Jones at Liverpool, the 26-year-old features in most games for his club but isn’t a regular starter – he’s played 37 matches in total this term, but started just nine times in the top flight (Transfermarkt).
When looking at the players’ respective statistics in the Premier League this season, we can see why the Magpies might prefer to take the Reds’ number 17 over Willock, with the former posting superior 90-minute averages for most metrics, especially in terms of passing and defensive contributions (via Squawka).
Steven Gerrard has implored his boyhood club not to sell the academy graduate, who’s currently the only Merseyside native in the first team at Anfield, and the 25-year-old has proven his importance to LFC this term by adapting to multiple different positions to compensate for injuries to teammates.
Newcastle may well have their eyes on Jones, but hopefully FSG stand firm and retain the Premier League-winning midfielder for at least another campaign.
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