Curtis Jones could hand Liverpool potential transfer issue they cannot ignore

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Liverpool will see a number of experienced players depart in the summer but they can ill afford to leave themselves short in one key areaMohamed Salah speaks so infrequently to the media at length - well, the written press at any rate - that his utterances tend to carry more weight than most. Witness the reaction following his latest round of television interviews ahead of Liverpool's trip to Manchester United at the weekend.While the departing Egyptian was ruled out of the Old Trafford clash due to a minor hamstring problem, his conversations dominated the headlines with one revelation in particular prompting eyebrows to be raised.“I spoke to a member of staff and the guys up there, I told them when I leave you need an example, you need people to come early and go to the gym," said Salah.“If this doesn’t happen, it will be tricky for the club, because it’s very necessary you put the standard high.

I want that standard in the club, it’s very important for the team to keep winning things, and this is one of the main concerns for me.”FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook pageClearly, Salah feels strongly about having someone to whom he can hand over the baton regards wanting to go above and beyond the usual training regime at Anfield, believing it to be a key factor in his success and, as a consequence, that of Liverpool during his nine years at the club.With Andy Robertson also leaving this summer and doubts over the long-term future of Alisson Becker, a huge chunk of experience and leadership will depart.

Although by no means impossible, replacing that won't be easy.And there could be another shortcoming in the squad that history suggests will need to be addressed if Liverpool want to seriously challenge for honours in the immediate future.Curtis Jones is approaching the final 12 months of his contract and, with Trent Alexander-Arnold having departed last summer, is now the only Liverpool-born senior player in the first-team squad.There has thus far been no sign of an agreement over a new deal and rumours persist over a potential move away with a number of Premier League clubs linked, despite Jones having played more minutes this season than ever before with the Reds.Given so many established and successful names are nearing the end of their Liverpool careers, the prospect of also losing a Scouse heartbeat in the squad has prompted ripples of alarm through a fanbase concerned about an identity of a team that is inevitably shifting due to the passage of time.But does having a homegrown talent in the line-up really make that much of a difference?The evidence suggests very much in the affirmative. The Reds have won 32 major finals - six European Cups, three UEFA Cups, four UEFA Super Cups, one FIFA Club World Cup, eight FA Cups and 10 League Cups - and on each occasion have had at least one Liverpool-born player in the matchday squad.The only time one has not featured was the 1986 FA Cup final win over Everton when Steve McMahon remained on the bench throughout, while in 2024 Jayden Danns, then only 18 years old, came on as substitute in the memorable League Cup final triumph against Chelsea.And all 20 league championship victories have seen one or more players of Liverpool upbringing play more than just a peripheral role in helping lift the silverware.Whether it has been Ian Callaghan, Tommy Smith, Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler, Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard all the way through to Alexander-Arnold and Jones, those from the city and associated areas - now isn't the time for a whole debate on whether Bootle or Huyton count as Liverpool - have always played a part.Food for thought, then, for the Reds' recruitment team as they formulate their plans for the next campaign and beyond.