Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has insisted that the emergence of 19-year-old Curtis Jones means that Jürgen Klopp does not need to buy a new midfielder this summer.
Jones made his debut in last season's FA Cup but has enjoyed a fantastic breakthrough campaign this year. He has made a further ten appearances this season and has managed both his first goal and start in the Premier League in his last two games.
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He managed 69 very nice minutes of Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Burnley on Saturday, and Murphy told the BBC (via the Liverpool Echo) that he showed enough to earn himself a regular spot in the squad next season.
"Really impressed with Curtis Jones," Murphy said. "He plays in midfield, he’s going to score goals. He gets in there, times his runs beautifully, he’s comfortable with both feet and knows when to pass and when to dribble.
"He’s got creativity and an end product. It wasn’t quite his perfect day but he was a bit unlucky as it was his first Premier League start, let’s not forget. He showed all of the bits of quality you need to play at this level.
What a moment for Curtis Jones! ?
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) July 5, 2020
The teenager scores his first Premier League goal minutes after coming off the bench to secure the points for Liverpool.
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"He was confident, he was asking for the ball, getting it in tight areas and trying to play through with little intricate passes. He kept probing, he doesn’t play safe, he tries to make an impact on the game and that’s what you want.
"That’s what you need to do when you play for Liverpool. It was a terrific debut for him and he’s going to save Liverpool some money in the market, that’s for sure.”
Klopp has previously admitted that he has no plans to spend big this summer as Liverpool look to cope with the financial impact of the coronavirus outbreak, and he instead hopes to promote more youngsters to his squad.
Jones will almost certainly be at the front of the queue for that, with right-back Neco Williams and winger Harvey Elliott both expected to earn more opportunities next season as well.
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Source : 90min