THE 99% RULE: WHY ARNE SLOT SAYS CURTIS JONES IS NOW "UNDROPPABLE" AT ANFIELD
Curtis Jones' five consecutive starts have propelled Liverpool back into the top four. See Arne Slot's tactical plan for 2026.
Curtis Jones came back into the Liverpool squad right as they started winning again, and honestly, it doesn’t feel like a fluke. He’s been playing with real confidence. Just look at that Champions League match against Inter Milan at the San Siro earlier this month—Jones was their best player that night, and that was only his second start in a run that’s now hit five in a row. Since then, he’s been a big part of four straight wins.
Sure, he probably got a little lucky with injuries to Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, plus Dominik Szoboszlai’s suspension. Those guys are all back now, though, and with almost every midfielder available except Wataru Endo (who doesn’t play much anyway), the real test for Jones is whether he can keep this up.
Arne Slot, the head coach, is clearly happy with what Jones brings. He said, “What I like about him is he always wants the ball, no matter what’s going on. Most of the time, that’s a huge plus.
“Sometimes, yeah, it’s better to back off and not force it. But if he gets into trouble, he usually finds a way out and picks the right path.
“The best thing for him lately is how he’s been able to stay fit, play four or five full games in a row, and finish them strong.”
Jones isn’t the only one stepping up. Wirtz has just scored his first Premier League goal and picked up an assist in his last two games. Szoboszlai is back, and he’s been the standout player this season. Hugo Ekitike has found his scoring touch, too—more goals in his last four league games than in the thirteen before that. After losing nine out of twelve earlier, there’s finally a sense that Liverpool is turning the corner.
Slot’s hoping they keep moving forward in 2026, even though they’re missing Alexander Isak, who’s out for months after surgery for an ankle and leg injury, and Giovanni Leoni, who’s done for the season with an ACL tear.
“If you bring in a bunch of new players and lose some old ones, it usually takes time for things to click,” Slot said before facing Leeds. “But the more these guys play and train together, the better they get.
“When you add new faces, you expect improvement. Swap out players, and you have to give it some time, but it pays off eventually.
“Unfortunately, we won’t see Leoni again this season, and it’ll be a while before Alex is back on the pitch.”
MOHAMED SALAH SET TO LEAVE LIVERPOOL: FENERBAHCE PREPARE STUNNING THREE-YEAR CONTRACT OFFER
After a decade at Anfield, Mohamed Salah's next move is the talk of football. Will he join Messi or stay in European leagues?
Mohamed Salah looks set to leave Liverpool this summer, and it sounds like he wants to stay in Europe. One of the hottest rumours right now is about Fenerbahçe; they’re ready to offer him a three-year deal worth around £52 million. That’s a huge pay packet, but probably not as big as what he’d get in Saudi Arabia.
Salah’s been on Merseyside for almost a decade, and it’s hard to overstate just how much he’s done for Liverpool. Since joining in 2017 with Jurgen Klopp in charge, he’s picked up two Premier League titles, a Champions League medal, an FA Cup, and two League Cups. Pretty impressive, honestly. But this season hasn’t gone his way, and new boss Arne Slot dropped him for a few games after his form dipped. When Salah announced in March that he’d be leaving, people started up with transfer rumours right away.
In recent years, clubs from the Saudi Pro League have shown considerable interest. Last year, Al Ittihad went as far as slapping a £150 million offer on the table, but Liverpool turned it down.
Now the story goes that Salah wants to stay in Europe even though he’d pocket way more in Saudi Arabia. Reports out of Egypt claim Fenerbahce, managed by Jose Mourinho’s old club, have already sat down with Salah’s agent. They apparently laid out their big plans, offering £17.3 million a year with a three-year contract, and they want to build the team around him to end their league title drought stretching back to 2014.
There’s also talk of Real Madrid getting involved. Still, their transfer policy usually steers clear of handing massive contracts to players pushing the end of their careers, even superstars like Salah. Clubs in Italy, like Roma, Juventus, and Inter Milan, are keeping tabs on him too. And just to make things more interesting, someone floated the idea of Salah joining up with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami in the MLS, though the league's salary cap throws a wrench into that.
At this point, everybody’s watching Salah’s next move; the only certainty is that he won’t be short of offers when he finally says goodbye to Liverpool.
WHY IS LIVERPOOL HESITATING TO HIRE XABI ALONSO DESPITE OVERWHELMING FAN SUPPORT?
Liverpool has contacted Real Madrid to investigate Xabi Alonso’s tenure, as pressure grows on current manager Arne Slot at Anfield.
Liverpool have reached out to Real Madrid to ask about Xabi Alonso, but honestly, there’s some debate going on behind the scenes. People have been talking about Alonso stepping in at Anfield, especially since Arne Slot’s season hasn’t gone over well. Fans let out some boos after that 1-1 draw with Chelsea, and the mood is pretty tense. Even though Slot led Liverpool to a league title last year, quite a few supporters seem fed up with him and would rather see Alonso take charge.
But Spanish outlet AS says Liverpool have contacted Real Madrid to get the inside scoop on what happened during Alonso’s time at the club. It sounds like the decision-makers at Liverpool are starting to feel unsure about him, and they might actually stick with Slot for another season.
Alonso landed the Real Madrid job last summer after doing wonders at Bayer Leverkusen. Still, just six months in, Madrid let him go, reportedly because the locker room was falling apart. Liverpool’s relationship with Real Madrid is strong, and they apparently want some honest feedback – kind of like asking for a reference from a past employer, which isn’t unusual.
Liverpool’s spot in next year’s Champions League is almost locked in, but with two games left, it’s not guaranteed yet. When asked about the boos, Slot admitted he has some work to do to win fans over.
He said, “Not this season. Fans won’t change their minds now. But if we get the summer we’re planning, I’m convinced we’ll be a different team next season. Results, style, everything. It’s not always easy, though. Sometimes you know what needs fixing, but getting what you want isn’t so simple. This season, it’s been pretty clear what we’re missing. We’re trying to solve it, but one issue is simply having enough fit players. Still, our guys show every week in the second half that they’re giving everything they’ve got.”
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